CONTRIBUTING EDITOR´S INSIGHTS | Contributing editor´s writing and suggested activities about the topic under discussion as support for teaching practices

INSIDE TOPIC - GUEST SPEAKER´S INSIGHTS | The current topic developed by the guest speaker during the discussion session

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS´ RESEARCH | Focuses on guest writers´ research based on teaching English

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS´INSIGHTS | Guest writers´articles about the topic under discussion

TEACHERS´ COLLABORATIVE CORNER | TALK ABOUT IT | COMPARE AND CONTRAST | CONTRIBUTE | Contributions made by teachers around the globe

IELTA REGISTRATION NUMBER

11387724

ORCID REGISTRATION CODE

0000-0002-4467-5451

TEACHERS´

FORUM

Insights Journal

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Yuliana I. Vásquez G. - Panama

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD

Paulina Kazmierczak Majdzinska - Poland

Doreen Dela Agbedoe - Ghana

Doris Younes Ahkar - Lebanon

Salman Rajput Siraj - Pakistan

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS AND REVISERS

Afsheen Salahuddin - Pakistan

IELTA Teachers Forum Journal, published monthly by the Research Development Department and the Teachers Development Department of the International English Language Teachers Association. It is distributed for free online. Questions about subscriptions should be addressed to the Research Development Department and the Teachers Development Department coordinators of the International English Language Teachers Association. Annual subscriptions to the association to individuals are free of cost.

Find us on https://www.ieltassociation.org

Teachers Forum Website: https:sites.google.com/view/ielta-teachersforum

Facebook page: https://web.facebook.com/ieltassociation

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR´S INSIGHTS

“Unlocking Potential: Reading for Success”

Yuliana I. Vásquez G. - Panama

ITFIJ Editor in Chief

INSIDE TOPIC - GUEST SPEAKER´S INSIGHTS

"Reading, the Key to Success, Better Life, and Educational Outcomes"

Neil Arévalo Alcántara

Peru

ITFIJ Guest Speaker of the session

IELTA President

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS´RESEARCH

Focuses on guest writers´ research based on teaching English

"Effective Methods to Teach Reading in English to 5-7-Year-Old Kids, Penonome, 2023“

Yariadna Rodríguez; Angie Rojas; María Saavedra

Panama

“Oral and Silent Reading Strategies on the Level of Reading Comprehension of Grade 7 Students“

Alcantara, Aliah Krizzel A., Calcetas, Jasmine Joy B., Canino, Angeline Grace B. Gonzaga, Claire Ann B., Hernandez, Jhanna Grace Dyan S., Reyes, Jovelle M., Zulueta, Jannelle G.

Philippines

"Refining English Sophomore Students´ Communicative Skills through Inferential Reading at Centro Regional Universitario de Coclé, 2024."

María Fernández; Wendy Flores; Naomi Herrera

Panama

“Enhancement on Selected Grade 8 Students’ Reading Comprehension Using Collaborative Learning Technique in Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School“

GBaran, Kim Reymar M., Espinosa, Marian F. Fernandez, Jemilyn O., Gaceta, Angel Mary Rose E., Garin, Archie V., Guerta, Jobert B., Reyes, Jovelle M., Solito, Jenny Ann E.

Philippines

"Academic Reading for Seeking Learning Opportunities”

Gabriel Rodríguez; Marisstella Guevara; Alcibiades Reyes

Panama

“Plight of Challenged Readers Age Ranges from 13-15 years old: Basis for Proposed Intervention Program, June 2023”

Cubacob, Dharline T., Oriel, Patricia S., Pereja, Kyla D.

Poonin, Althea Marie, Santos, Jewel P.

Philippines

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS INSIGHTS

Guest writers’ articles about the topic under discussion

“EdTech Embeddedness: Empowering Critical and Analytical Reading among English Language Learners (ELLs) of Pakistan“

Imran Hussain

Pakistan

"Reading, the Key to Success, Better Life, and Educational Outcomes”

Sandra Mensah Obeng

Ghana

TEACHERS COLLABORATIVE CORNER

TALK ABOUT IT | COMPARE AND CONTRAST | CONTRIBUTE

Contributions made by teachers around the globe based on experience and real-life situations

William Enrique Garboza Aguilar – Perú

Anna Kosenko - Ukraine

Jordi Sevillano Del Rosario – Panamá

Barnabas Abangbere Atibiro – Ghana

Shayira Sánchez - Panamá

Zeboniso Murodova – Tajikistan

Jomar Calixto Catano - Philippines

The Teachers' Forum is a space for teachers to express and share their teaching practices and experiences in Education based on work and research on the current topic under discussion.

After Zoom and Facebook Live interactions to talk about a current teaching issue or practice, teachers provide their insights for this journal to contribute and exchange ideas with other teachers worldwide.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR´S INSIGHTS

Corresponds to the contributing editor´s writing and suggested activities about the topic under discussion as support for teaching practices.

INSIDE TOPIC - GUEST SPEAKER´S INSIGHTS

The current topic developed by the guest speaker during the discussion session

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS´ RESEARCH

Focuses on guest writers´ research based on teaching English.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS´ INSIGHTS

Guest writers´ practical and innovative ideas for teaching English based on the topic.

TEACHERS' COLLABORATIVE CORNER (TCC)

TCC is divided into three main sections: TALK ABOUT IT, COMPARE/CONTRAST, and CONTRIBUTE. It provides an avenue for teachers around the globe to share their knowledge, and research, and show how their reality is similar or different from other countries; taking as base the topic under discussion. It also gives them the opportunity to freely share their daily classroom practices for others to benefit from them.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Special gratitude to teacher Neil Arévalo Alcántara from PERU for his participation as a GUEST SPEAKER during the twelfth episode of the IELTA Teachers´ Forum in Zoom and Facebook Live.

DEDICATORY

This publication of the Teachers Forum is dedicated to all teachers in the world who work hard to innovate and are the part of a positive change in regards of the educational field.

ON THE COVER

It is the WINNER IMAGE of THE PICTURE OPEN HOUSE CONTEST held by IELTA Research Development Department, 2023.

Credits: Zeboniso Muradova, English teacher at Bokhtar State University and the English Resource Center Teachers, Tajikistan.

Unlocking Potential: Reading for Success

Yuliana I. Vásquez G. - Panama

ITFIJ Editor in Chief

In this publication of the IELTA Teachers Forum Insights Journal, the editorial team wants to shine a light on the profound impact of reading. It's not just about acquiring literacy skills; it's the cornerstone of academic achievement, personal growth, and a fulfilling life. As educators, we witness the magic firsthand. A child engrossed in a captivating story, their imagination soaring. A teenager grappling with complex ideas in a non-fiction book, their critical thinking muscles flexing.

These moments highlight the transformative power of reading. Research reinforces this magic. Studies consistently link strong reading skills to academic success across all subjects. Proficient readers grasp information more readily, build a richer vocabulary, and develop stronger communication skills. They become critical thinkers, able to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information.

However, the benefits extend far beyond the classroom. Reading exposes us to diverse perspectives, fostering empathy and understanding. It fuels creativity, ignites a love for lifelong learning, and provides a powerful tool for navigating an information-rich world.

So, how can a teacher cultivate a love for reading in students? It consulted some literature, teachers´ ideas, and even AI suggestions. Based on the provided information, here are a few ideas:

• Create a print-rich environment: Surround students with books that cater to a variety of interests and reading levels. Make classroom libraries inviting and well-organized.
  
• Read aloud daily: Model the joy of reading by selecting captivating stories and poems. Encourage active listening through discussions and predictions.
  
• Independent reading time: Dedicate time for students to explore books of their choice. Let them lose themselves in the narrative and celebrate their selections.
  
• Genre exploration: Introduce students to a variety of genres – fiction, non-fiction, biographies – to spark curiosity and broaden their literary horizons.
  
• Reading activities: Go beyond comprehension questions. Encourage creative responses through book reports, reader's theaters, or artistic interpretations.
  
• Connect reading to life: Help students see how reading applies to their world. Discuss real-world applications of concepts encountered in books.
  
• Community involvement: Partner with libraries, bookstores, or authors for guest speakers or book club sessions.
  
• Technology integration: Utilize educational apps and audiobooks to cater to different learning styles and make reading accessible.
  

To conclude, by fostering a love for reading, it is necessary to equip our students with the tools they need to not only succeed in school but also to thrive in life. Let's turn every classroom into a springboard for lifelong learning adventures!

_Yuliana V.

Reading: The Key to Success, Better Life and Educational Outcomes

Neil Edwin Arevalo Alcantara - Perú

ITFIJ Guest Speaker

Reading is the main source to get ideas, strategies to face problems, and knowledge to succeed in life, when we read magazines, newspapers, books, articles, and others, we can have some answers to the following questions: what happened in the past? what is happening now? And what will happen in the future? Therefore, our decisions will be more precise and efficient but to get these essential skills, it is necessary to develop some reading strategies to comprehend everything we read. UNICEF in 2022 said that only a third of 10-year-olds globally are estimated to be able to read and understand a simple written story. UNICEF warns of the global education crisis and the need for urgent actions as world leaders gather at the Transforming Education Summit in New York during the UN General Assembly. One solution to face this issue is to be critical readers.

Critical reading involves actively reading the text to understand the author’s viewpoints. Rather than blindly accepting what is stated in the text, you should examine and question assumptions in research papers and bring in your own experience and expertise to develop new ideas and fresh perspectives. It can also help you build strong theoretical foundations and improve the quality of your academic work. Honing your critical reading skills allows you to easily assess evidence and integrate this information into your daily life.

Here we will discuss nine critical reading strategies that will help you become an effective reader acording to George (2023):

Read with purpose: Critical reading is all about focus! Come prepared with a question you want answered. Skim the paper, highlighting key parts that address your specific need. This lets you decide if the whole paper is relevant, saving you valuable time. As you get better at this, you'll become a critical reading whiz, quickly spotting the gold nuggets in any research. Bonus: You'll also learn how top-notch papers are structured, a skill you can use to write your impactful work!

Take down notes: Don't just passively read scholarly articles – dissect them! Underline key points, jot down your thoughts, and question anything unclear. This active reading approach helps you truly grasp the meaning and build strong arguments later. Highlighting the important bits lets you revisit them easily, saving valuable time in the long run.

Read without biases: Critical reading isn't about blind acceptance. You'll encounter ideas that resonate with you, and others that challenge your beliefs. The key is to check your emotions at the door! Approach the research objectively, understanding the author's arguments is crucial, even if you disagree. This allows you to accurately reference their work in your writing.

Put things in context: Critical reading goes beyond the words on the page. Researchers need to consider the bigger picture – the social, cultural, and historical context that shaped the research. Understanding the "when" and "where" of the research helps you interpret its meaning and build stronger arguments based on your current reality.

Look for connections: Critical reading isn't just about the text in front of you. It's about building bridges! By searching for connections to past readings in your field, you can weave existing knowledge into a stronger tapestry of ideas. This not only clarifies how your work fits into the bigger picture but also broadens your

understanding with a global perspective. You might even connect with the authors of these related sources - another avenue to deepen your learning!

Read multiple times: Don't be discouraged if you need to read a research paper more than once! Focus and multiple readings unlock deeper layers of understanding. You'll catch connections you might have missed at first. Just like writing, mastering critical reading takes practice. The more you do it, the better you'll become at dissecting research.

Maintain a journal: Critical reading isn't just about absorbing information. This step involves actively capturing key points, interesting stories, references, and where the author agrees or disagrees with others. Don't be shy about writing down any questions that pop up too! This journal becomes your personal research treasure chest - not only a handy study guide but also a goldmine for sparking new research ideas down the road.

Paraphrase and simplify: Critical reading tackles tough scientific concepts, but sometimes even that isn't enough. Paraphrasing the text is a powerful tool! By rephrasing the ideas in your own words, you can unlock a deeper understanding of the research paper. This not only clarifies the content but also hones your academic writing skills in the process.

Build your vocabulary: Reading scientific research can be a treasure trove of new vocabulary! Taking note of unfamiliar terms and how they're used will not only speed up your reading in the long run, but also give you a richer toolbox of words to use in your writing.

Following these critical reading strategies can help you read more effectively and build a repository of great ideas. Your learnings from and interpretations of previously published work can then be translated into potentially ground-breaking research that will put you on the path to success.

Reference

George, E. (2023). 9 Critical Reading Strategies and How it can Improve Your Writing.

https://researcher.life/blog/article/9-critical-reading-strategies-and-how-it-can-improve-your-writing/

.

Effective Methods to Teach Reading in English to 5-7 Year Old’s Kids, Penonome, 2023

Yariadna Rodríguez; Angie Rojas; María Saavedra - Panama

Abstract

Teaching reading for kids, especially 5-7-years old, is a critical task that requires effective methods to ensure comprehension and retention. These methods focus on experience, interactivity, communication, use of authentic materials, and proper structuring of lessons. By combining these approaches, teachers can create a stimulating and effective learning environment for children. This study investigates the most effective methods for teaching English reading to children of this age. It was carried out by interviewing teachers from different schools in Penonomé, both public and private, through platforms such as ZOOM and Google Meet; in which many teaching approaches and methods were analyzed. The results reveal that combining methods such as teaching phonics and word repetition are the most effective methods to promote reading skills in kids. In addition, various technological tools, such as educational apps, interactive e-books, and online reading programs, can provide children at this age with effective learning experiences. In addition, technology facilitates the development of phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. These results provide valuable information for educators seeking to improve the teaching of reading to children 5 -7 years old.

Keywords: Teachers, English learners, kids, levels, reading.

Introduction

When students move on to the first and second levels of elementary schools, they are expected to know how to read or have a good reading balance. However, when they reach these levels, most students do not achieve it in Spanish, making it more complex to read in English. The Estrella de Panamá (2022) highlights that “in Panama, according to UNESCO, in terms of educational quality, five out of ten children in third level do not achieve the minimum grade in reading, and this figure increases to almost nine out of ten in the comarcas (Crecer 2017 tests)” (para. 8). Educators and parents face the challenge of selecting appropriate strategies that address the diverse learning needs of children within this age group. However, there is growing concern about variability in children's reading achievement. It is vital to highlight that children above ten must learn to read; on the contrary, they will face many struggles in their learning process.

Teaching reading to 5- to 7-year-olds requires engaging and interactive methods adapted to their developmental stage, such as introducing phonics early by teaching letter-sound correlations or incorporating games and activities that make learning fun. Examples include word bingo, scavenger hunts for words, and interactive word-building games linked to technology.

The aforementioned facts take the researchers to know what the most effective methods are to teach reading in English to 5-7-year-old kids in light of elementary school teachers in Penonomé.

Theoretical Framework

Teaching young children to read is a crucial task that requires effective methods to ensure successful literacy development. This literature review examines methods for teaching English reading to children ages 5 to 7, focusing on efficient approaches to improving reading skills and fostering a love of reading. Teaching a

child to read begins at birth with the reinforcement of pre-literacy skills. “One of the most common ways to teach reading is via the sounding out method, in which kids are encouraged to read aloud, pronouncing each letter or group of letters until they recognize the word by sound” (Cicerchia, n.d., para 4).

According to some other authors, there are several methods and strategies for teaching kids to read in English.

Phonics

Phonics instruction is an outstanding component of teaching reading in English to kids. It focuses on teaching the relationship between letters (graphemes) and sounds (phonemes) in English. "Phonics is the relationship between letters and sounds in a language. Children need phonics to decode words in reading and encode words in spelling" (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 2000).

Ample Exposure and Repetition

Ample exposure to print and repetition of reading materials is essential for young learners to develop strong reading skills. They help children build vocabulary, develop fluency, and gain confidence in their reading abilities. Ample exposure and repetition not only enhance reading skills. It also builds confidence in young learners. As children become more familiar with words and texts, they gain confidence in their reading abilities. “Reading words that contain the same letters and letter combinations and seeing those words multiple times helps kids practice early reading skills. Did you know that 50-75% of the words in most children’s books come from the Dolch list?” (Cicerchia, n.d., para 16).

Sight Word

Sight Word recognition involves teaching students to recognize high-frequency words by sight without sounding them out phonetically. According to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (2000), "Teaching children to recognize words by sight enhances their reading fluency and comprehension, particularly for common words that do not follow regular phonetic patterns". This method allows students to recognize high-frequency words quickly while developing their ability to decode unfamiliar words phonetically.

In short, effective methods for teaching reading to kids should be comprehensive, engaging, and tailored to individual learning needs. By combining phonics instruction, sight word recognition, exposure to print, repetition, and a diversity of reading materials, educators can help young learners develop strong reading skills and a lifelong love of reading. Additionally, exposure to print-rich environments and repeated practice with reading materials are critical for reinforcing learning and building confidence in young readers.

Methodology

Population and Sample Description

The chosen group for this research was five female and one male English teacher from different schools in Penonomé, Coclé province, Panamá, with between five and twenty years of experience in the teaching field in public and private schools working with levels from kindergarten to second grade. Purposive snowball sampling was the procedure used to collect the information where the participants shared what methods they considered the most effective in teaching reading in English. “Snowball sampling is a non-probability sampling method where new units are recruited by other units to form part of the sample” (Nikolopoulou, 2022). Three of those teachers were contacted by WhatsApp as known professionals, and three were recommended by teachers of the sample group.

Instrument

Easwaramoorthy & Zarinpoush (2006) stated, “An interview is a conversation for gathering information. A research interview involves an interviewer, who coordinates the process of the conversation and asks questions, and an interviewee, who responds to those questions.” To collect the information, an interview in questionnaire format was elaborated, with twelve open questions based on the indicators: most effective

methods to teach reading to 5 to 7-year-old kids, adaptation to learning styles, challenges, perception of effectiveness, and technological sources to teach reading. The interview was conducted individually in an online semi-structured interview to collect data. It was performed individually because the researchers' idea was to obtain separate information to contrast the data and find similarities at the end, so they cannot conclude the same but have their own opinions. The interview questions were the following:

1. Do you work in a particular or public elementary school?

2. Level you work with

3. Years of expertise as a teacher

4. What are the most effective methods for teaching reading in English according to your experience? Mention them.

5. May you choose one of them and share why you consider this method the most effective?

6. How do you apply this method in the classroom?

7. How do you perceive the children feel when they learn in this way?

8. How do you adapt your teaching methods for reading to different learning styles and student needs?

9. How do you encourage reading in English for your students?

10. Is technology useful in teaching reading in English to 5-7-years-old children? Why?

Yes,

No

11. What could be some technological resources or educational apps that can be useful in teaching reading to children at this stage?

12. What are some of the biggest challenges of teaching reading in English, and how do you overcome them?

Procedure

A questionnaire of twelve questions was elaborated in Google Documents, and the individual online interviews were conducted via Google Meet and Zoom platforms. The interviewed participants were contacted through WhatsApp. The interviews were conducted from February 26th to March 4th, 2024. In the interview, the researchers and the teacher met. One researcher informed the participant about the purpose of the interview, gave a little introduction, and asked for recording permission. The second and third researchers asked the questions. When the teacher participant did not answer the question completely, the researcher asked for more details politely. At the same time, few questions emerged during the interviews, but it was to gather more information and obtain a better description of the teacher participant experience. Teachers answered all the questions and expanded their personal experiences by providing extra relevant information. Finally, the researchers thanked the participants and let them know the final data would be shared with them for their development as English teachers.

Limitations

The information collected was limited to a small sample of 6 teachers, although at least 10 participants were expected to participate. Some of the teachers contacted had confirmed their participation, but at the last time, they did not answer anymore. Another limitation was that 2 of the six teachers preferred not to be recorded, which limited the data analysis because all the meetings were planned to be recorded and done via Google Meet and Zoom platforms; however, it was resolved by taking notes of the interview.

Findings

In this section, the answer to each question is analyzed.

According to the first question, “Do you work in a particular or public elementary school?” 2 participants work in public elementary schools, and 4 in private schools. It helps the researchers to analyze the diversity of methods used on both sides.

According to the second question, “Level you work with” 5 participants worked with second-level students and 1 with first-level students. It can be helpful to support the variability of teaching methods in

real objects instead of pictures for a better understanding, implementing activities with games, applying collaborative learning, and making use of pictures and posters to illustrate words. In short, an excellent teaching methodology allows to establish and adapt appropriate activities for each student stage. Thus, children experience different logical sequences, created specifically for their level of learning.

According to the ninth question, “How do you encourage reading in English for your students? Most of the participants made a “Reading Corner” in the classroom where kids can find a variety of books with different topics where they can find the ones of their interest. Encouraging reading from childhood creates a positive educational process since reading a book helps the student improve his vocabulary and develop a critical analysis, which promotes self-confidence when expressing himself.

According to the tenth question, “Is technology useful in teaching reading in English to 5-7-years-old children? Why?" All the participants answered that technology is useful in teaching reading to improve listening and pronunciation skills. However, according to teachers' comments, public schools do not have the equipment to develop the different activities. On the other hand, private schools count on the devices, but teachers must be careful with how they apply technology because kids can be distracted and not pay attention. Technology has arrived to innovate in education by promoting interactive activities, providing students with benefits and skills development, and making the learning process more attractive, fun, and effective.

According to the eleventh question, “What could be some technological resources or educational apps that can be useful in teaching reading to children at this stage?” Some technological resources used by the participants are YouTube, Netflix Kids, YouTube Kids, and Unsocialized.net free website. This demonstrates the variety of technological resources that can be combined with the methods of teaching reading in English.

According to the twelfth question, “What are some of the biggest challenges of teaching reading in English, and how do you overcome them?” the participants' comments were almost the same. They mentioned that the biggest challenge in teaching reading is that students do not want to participate since kids do not want to make mistakes and be mocked by their peers. Besides, kids in reading do not speak aloud, which makes it complicated to correct them. They overcome that situation by asking questions to the students and making classes more interactive and creative. Another participants’ challenge is that some students do not know how to read in Spanish, their mother tongue, which makes teaching reading in English difficult. They emphasize that in that situation, the key is repetition to help kids memorize and acquire vocabulary. The last challenge for the participants is that not all the students are at the same level. Some of them understand well but do not have good pronunciation. Others pronounce it well but do not understand it, making teaching reading a little complex. However, the teachers overcome this obstacle using collaborative learning. In summary, these comments show that there are many challenges in teaching reading in English and this is present in both public and private education.

Conclusion

Reading is the basis of the construction of knowledge. For that, the main objective of this research was to identify the most effective methods to teach reading in English to 5- to 7-year-old children in Penonomé. It was focused on the early stage of students because kids need an appropriate basis in reading to have a good development and learning process in the following years of education.

Through this research, it was possible to find that the most effective methods of teaching reading in English, according to the participants' experiences, are Phonics and Repetition. Phonics is a method characterized by the study of letters and sounds. It is vital in reading because students can learn how to read and pronounce correctly from the beginning with this method; moreover, repetition is another method frequently employed by teachers. This method allows to retain the information, and according to teachers' comments, it is mainly helpful in vocabulary acquisition.

However, those methods were not the only ones mentioned; the use of pictionaries, flashcards, short stories, games, videos, sight words, vowels and consonants, and mixed strategies were also applied to teaching reading

by the participants. Teaching reading aims for kids to enjoy and promote this habit for the use of diverse techniques and methods, as previously mentioned, is necessary.

Another aspect mentioned by the participants was the use of technology. For the participants working at private schools, it can help teach reading, but they need to be aware of kids to avoid distraction. However, for the participants who teach in public elementary schools, the application of technology in their classrooms is complex due to insufficient resources and devices despite mentioning it is a great tool for them.

As this research demonstrates, there is no single method for teaching children to read in English. Many factors influence the teaching process; however, there can always be a tool for every need.

References

Cicerchia, M. (n.d.). Teaching children to read. Retrieved from www.readandspell.com:

https://www.readandspell.com/teaching-children-toread#:~:text=Nonetheless%2C%20most%20kids%

20will%20officially,recognize%20the%20word%20by%20sound

Easwaramoorthy, M., & Zarinpoush, F. (2006). Interviewing for Research. Retrieved from sectorsource.ca:

https://sectorsource.ca/sites/default/files/resources/files/tipsheet6_interviewing_for_research_en_0.pdf

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. (2000, April). Teaching

Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its

Implications for Reading Instruction. Retrieved from www.nichd.nih.gov:

https://www.nichd.nih.gov/sites/default/files/publications/pubs/nrp/Documents/report.pdf

Nikolopoulou, K. (2022, August 17). What Is Snowball Sampling? | Definition & Examples. Retrieved from

www.scribbr.com: https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/snowball-sampling/

N’Namdi, K. A. (2005). Guide to Teaching Reading at the Primary School Level. Retrieved from

files.eric.ed.gov: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED495644.pdf

Oliveros, V. (2022, November). Incidencia del uso de las Sight Words como una estrategia didáctica para

favorecer. Retrieved from repositorio.uceva.edu.co:

https://repositorio.uceva.edu.co/bitstream/handle/20.500.12993/3772/Sight_Words_Estrategia_Didactica.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Rojas, K. (2022, April 2). 'Es definitivo que hay una deficiencia en los aprendizajes', dice Moreno. Retrieved

from Laestrella.com: https://www.laestrella.com.pa/vida-y-cultura/cultura/definitivo-hay-deficiencia-

aprendizajes-dice-ALLE467698

Russak, S., & Wong, R. (2019, February 1). How phonics can give children a head start with reading English.

Retrieved from www.britishcouncil.org: https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-phonics-

can-give-children-head-start-reading-english

Smith, F. (1997). PARA DARLE SENTIDO A LA LECTURA. Retrieved from dokumen.tips:

https://dokumen.tips/documents/smith-frank-para-darle-sentido-a-la-lectura.html

Valdivieso, L. B., Villalón, M., & Orellana, E. (2004). The cognitive processes and the learning of initial

reading:Cognitive differences between good and defficient readers. Retrieved from www.scielo.cl:

https://www.scielo.cl/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0718-07052004000100001

Oral and Silent Reading Strategies on the Level of Reading Comprehension of Grade 7 Students

Alcantara, Aliah Krizzel A., Calcetas, Jasmine Joy B., Canino, Angeline Grace B. Gonzaga, Claire Ann B., Hernandez, Jhanna Grace Dyan S., Reyes, Jovelle M., Zulueta, Jannelle G. - Philippines

Abstract

Reading comprehension is the ability to understand what is being read. However, most students can read and pronounce words correctly but are unable to explain what they mean because of a lack of comprehension. Silent reading and oral reading are two reading strategies used by teachers to help students improve their reading and comprehension skills. According to DepEd Region IV-A Director Francis Cesar B. Bringas, there has been a continuous decrease in the passing rate of all students, including CALABARZON learners, in the said examinations from 2016 to 2018. Therefore, determining the best reading strategy can increase the number of students who can comprehend the texts they read.

This study used modified printed reading materials for the seventh grade from the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI). This descriptive research precisely and methodically determined which reading strategy, oral reading or silent reading, is better at increasing student's reading comprehension. Forty (40) Grade 7 Students from Banca-Banca Integrated National High School who were randomly selected regardless of their class standing are the respondents to this study. The results indicated that between the two reading strategies, silent reading was better than oral reading since it demonstrated higher levels of reading comprehension.

Based on the findings, it is recommended by the researchers to use the silent reading strategy to help students increase their reading comprehension at the literal, inferential, and evaluative levels.

Keywords: Oral reading, silent reading, reading comprehension

Introduction

Reading is an important factor in improving general English language skills. There are two ways for learners to read: oral reading and silent reading. Oral reading is the translation of written or printed text into speech. On the other hand, silent reading is a situation in which a student does not read aloud. Instead, he/she quietly reads to himself. Meanwhile, reading and comprehension are two interconnected skills. For students to derive meaning from the information they have read; they must improve their reading comprehension skills.

Given the significance of reading and comprehension, educators have been called upon to ensure that assistance is provided to children to help them develop fluency in reading. The Department of Education Region IV-A (DepEd) indicated students' struggle with reading comprehension as a factor in their performance on the National Achievement Test and the Early Language, Literacy, and Numeracy Program. Furthermore, according to DepEd Region IV-A Director Francis Cesar B. Bringas, there has been a continuous decrease in the passing rate of all students, including CALABARZON learners, in the said examinations from 2016 to 2018.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) supports Every Child a Reader Program, which strives to make every Filipino child a reader as well as a writer at his or her grade level. The Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI), utilized as a classroom-based assessment tool, is intended to assess and characterize learners' reading performance in oral reading, silent reading, and listening comprehension in both English and Filipino.

Hence, the goal of this study is to investigate and provide crucial information on Grade 7 students’ level of reading comprehension to ascertain its main objectives.

Objectives of the Study

This study aims to:

(1) Identify the level of oral and silent reading comprehension of grade 7 students of Banca-Banca Integrated National High School.

(2) Evaluate which reading strategy is better in raising the level of comprehension of grade 7 students of Banca-Banca Integrated National High School.

(3) Determine if there is a significant difference between oral reading comprehension and silent reading comprehension of the grade 7 students at Banca-Banca Integrated National High School.

Methodology

Design

This study used descriptive research methodology. Forty (40) grade 7 students have read orally and silently as part of the comparative analysis. The students were engaged in oral reading as their first reading activity, which was followed by a 15-item test that was given by the researchers to assess the student's level of oral reading comprehension. Afterward, the students were engaged in the silent reading activity, and the researchers then administered a 15-item test to assess the student's level of comprehension through silent reading.

Participants

The participants of this study were involved in three sections of Filipino students enrolled as grade 7 students in Banca-Banca Integrated National High School during the academic year 2022-2023. A total of forty (40) 7th-grade students participated in this study. The respondents were chosen randomly, regardless of their class standing.

Data Collection and Analysis

The researchers looked for suitable and relevant reading materials from the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (Phil-IRI) for the 7th-grade students of Banca-Banca Integrated National High School to appropriately and correctly measure their reading comprehension. The next step was to prepare an approval sheet that was signed by the Principal of Banca Integrated National High School to allow the researchers to research the school involving its students.

As soon as the letter of permission was signed, the researchers started the data-gathering process. On the first day, the students read the passage orally three times before taking a 15-item test with five evaluative, five inferential, and five literal questions. After that, the students proceeded with their silent reading activity. A different passage was given to them, and after three times of reading, a 15-item test with five evaluative, five inferential, and five literal questions were administered by the researchers.

On the second and last day, the same respondents read the different passages three times for their oral and silent reading activities; following that, a 15-item test was answered by the students.

Results and Discussion

Table 1 shows the level of reading comprehension in terms of Oral Reading. Day 1 has a mean level of 8.95 with a standard deviation of 1.79 and is rated as “Moderate”. Day 2 has a mean level of 9.07 with a standard deviation of 1.75 and is rated as “Moderate”. Day 3 has a mean level of 9.20 with a standard deviation of 1.34 and is rated as “Moderate”. Overall, oral reading has a mean level of 9.08 with a standard deviation 1.62 and

Yoneoka, J. (n.d.) Choral Reading vs. Individual Oral and Silent Reading: Relative Validity of the Alternatives in

the English Reading Classroom. http://www2.kumagaku.ac.jp/teacher/~judy/gyoseki/09/09.doc

Zainab, R., & Abu-Ayyash (2021). Oral Reading Fluency: Teaching and Assessment Strategies. Universal

Journal of Educational Research.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352837783_Oral_Reading_Fluency_Teaching_and_Assessment_Strategies

Refining English Sophomore Students´ Communicative Skills through Inferential Reading at Centro Regional Universitario de Coclé, 2024.

María Fernández; Wendy Flores; Naomi Herrera - Panama

Abstract

Inferential reading implies extracting information that is not explicitly stated in a text. This type of reading could or could not refine communicative skills due to the connections they create to establish a statement for any conversation. To revise how inferential reading refines English Sophomore Communicative Skills, mixed descriptive research was conducted on 20 students from the English School at Centro Regional Universitario de Coclé. The results suggest most students believe inferential reading refines communicative skills and also improves reading comprehension and critical thinking. However, a percentage of 5,3% do not consider it contributes to their communication skills improvement.

Keywords: Inferential reading, communication skills, reading comprehension, critical thinking, improvement.

Introduction

Undergraduates must convey their ideas professionally, this implies that they are constantly practicing their verbal abilities. Thus, they should be the ones who mostly read books and social impact magazines, as it improves their critical thinking for their intellectual activities and academic performance development. (Nuñez, 2018) . Unfortunately, many struggle to express themselves fluently because of their lack of practice at reading. According to Southern Oregon University (2023), when students lack this essential literacy skill, they can face trouble communicating in daily life, demonstrate difficulty in school, have problems finding a job, inequality, and accessing health care. In this context, inferential reading could generate different skills students may need to develop. Approaching research like this might benefit English Sophomore Students at Centro Regional Universitario de Coclé so that they could successfully face communicative challenges in their academic and professional future.

Theoretical Framework

In higher education, students perform oral presentations delivered as story-telling, round tables, time-limited speeches, or impromptu. However, some cannot develop them efficiently because of their lack of practice at reading (Norbaevna & Yuldashevna, n.d.). As “reading is a communication habit that allows cognitive and interactive thought development of any reader” (Carrillo, n.d.), they may need exposure to different types of reading.

In 2020, Abril stated that inferential reading consists of the ability to deduct and infer information that is not explicitly in a text. As explained, inferential reading refers to the capacity for abstract information that is not at first sight.

According to Sajid & Fraida (2018), the reader combines these acquaintance connections with textual strategies to create a text conventionally. Their study on Saudi university students demonstrates that inferential reading allows them to acquire comprehension abilities and develop communicative capabilities because it gives the reader access to theoretical knowledge and common sense.

Additionally, 10.5% of students emphasized the advantages of reading conclusions in the education of critical thinking which suggests that practicing the inference of meanings in a text, promotes the ability to analyze and evaluate information more profoundly.

However, it is important to highlight that a percentage of 5.3%, expressed disagreement with the idea that inferential reading contributes to the development of their communication skills. This shows that a small percentage of students do not see this type of reading as a way to improve their communication skills.

The results suggest that inferential reading has a positive impact on the development of communication skills in almost many of the sophomore English students at the Centro Regional Universitario de Coclé. These findings can be significantly involved in teaching, highlighting the importance of incorporating inferential reading strategies in classrooms to improve students' communicative competence.

Conclusion

In this study, the majority of students in the sample group somehow consider inferential reading to be a useful tool to improve their communication skills. Furthermore, reading is an essential skill in the growth of learning, being of great help to shape and develop communication skills. Overall, inferential reading creates logical and cognitive knowledge through prior knowledge while reading develops critical thinking and awakens reading comprehension.

References

Abril, C. A. H. (2020, Abril). Educación bilingüe: perspectivas desde el sistema educativo español. Factoria de

Ideas, 19.

Carrillo, M. (n.d.).(2024, March 1) La lectura y su importancia en la adolescencia. UAEH. Retrieved February 29,

2024, from https://www.uaeh.edu.mx/scige/boletin/prepa4/n10/e5.html

Dewitz, P. (2017, June 22). Making Inferences: 6 Essential Strategies. Read Side by Side. Retrieved February 28,

2024, from https://www.readsidebyside.com/blog/making-inferences-6-essential-strategies

Durán, N. D. (2018, Junio 30). Estrategias pedagógicas para el desarrollo de la lectura inferencial. Educación y

Ciencia, 23, 368.

Hall, C., Vaughn, S., Barnes, M., Stewart, A., Austin, C., & Roberts, G. (2020). The Effects of Inference

Instruction on the Reading Comprehension of English Learners With Reading Comprehension Difficulties.

Sage Journal, 5(41), 260

Kendou, P., Van Den Broek, P., Helder, A., & Karisson, J. (2023, January 6). ,. Retrieved March 2, 2024, from

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1111/ldrp.12025

Norbaevna, S. F., & Yuldashevna, X. G. (n.d.). IMPACT OF EXTENSIVE READING TO DEVELOP SPEAKING SKILLS.

Progressive Academic Publishing. Retrieved March 4, 2024, from https://www.idpublications.org/wp-

content/uploads/2020/01/Full-Paper-IMPACT-OF-EXTENSIVE-READING-TO-DEVELOP-SPEAKING-SKILLS.pdf Nuñez. (2018, June 29). The Importance of Reading in the Development of the University Student's

Investigative Abilities. Revista Ciencias Sociales y Económicas, 2(1), 21. https://revistas.uteq.edu.ec/

Sajid, M. K. K. M., & Fraida, A. A. (2018, December 31). Effectiveness of Reading Aloud Strategies for Inferential

Reading Comprehension Skills and Text Difficulties of Saudi Students at University Level. Core, 2984.

What Is the Role of Literacy in Effective Communication? (2023, June 20). Southern Oregon University

(SOU). Retrieved March 1, 2024, from https://online.sou.edu/degrees/education/msed/reading-

literacy/literacy-in-effective-communication/

Enhancement on Selected Grade 8 Students’ Reading Comprehension Using Collaborative Learning Technique in Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School

GBaran, Kim Reymar M., Espinosa, Marian F. Fernandez, Jemilyn O., Gaceta, Angel Mary Rose E., Garin, Archie V., Guerta, Jobert B.,

Reyes, Jovelle M., Solito, Jenny Ann E. - Philippines

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of collaborative learning on Grade 8 students' reading comprehension at Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School. Using a quasi-experimental design, 34 students were assessed through pre-test and post-test questionnaires, and the results showed a significant improvement in comprehension with the collaborative learning technique. Although no significant difference was found between individual and collaborative post-tests, collaborative learning emerges as a viable method for enhancing reading comprehension. Teachers are encouraged to adapt this approach to enhance students' reading skills, while students are advised to integrate collaborative learning into their reading practice for better educational outcomes.

Keywords: Reading comprehension, collaborative learning technique

.

Introduction

Reading is one of the macro-skills that are relevant components for language acquisition, where students get familiar with letters or words and the process of understanding the meaning of a text, which results in better understanding and helps develop the child's cognitive thinking abilities. Comprehension is the act of grasping the meaning of the text and constructing one's understanding. Students need to develop their reading abilities to improve their comprehension skills and gain knowledge about the materials or topics they have read. Therefore, reading comprehension is essential to expand knowledge by interpreting meaning, resolving problems, and comprehending what they read.

In a survey conducted by the researchers at Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School, it was brought to their attention that out of 153 students in grade 8, 6 were non-readers or 3.92% of the population. Given this result and scenario, the researchers were encouraged to help and assist the minority.

A classroom with an overflowing number of students is a handful for the teacher, which also affects the learning of the students. The number of students in a classroom could only add to the problem of why there is an increasing number of students who struggle with their comprehension level.

The collaborative learning that will be imposed on students promotes a positive environment because it creates a positive interdependence among students’ attainment of the goal. Putri, Zaim, and Hamza (2019) divide the benefits of collaborative learning (CL) into four majors: social benefit, psychological benefit, academic benefit, and assessment benefit. Achieving a goal would be possible if and only if the other students also succeeded with their goals. Collaborative learning simply explains the idea of a domino effect, in which a single domino could highly affect others in achieving the desired outcome the researchers ought to seek. Creating a small group of settings wherein they would create meaningful conversations that could enhance their proficiency, which is necessary for their learning, and consult each other to reach a group goal or task. In the process, the target language is used more frequently, and students are given lots of

opportunities to participate and become active rather than passive learners, all of which are the goals of the cooperative learning methodology.

Considering the significance of reading and comprehension, teachers have been tasked with ensuring that children receive support in developing functional literacy based on the standards. However, it is argued that the goal of making kids good readers should not be viewed as a burden to be carried solely by teachers. It affects students, parents, teachers, school officials, and almost every citizen. The responsibility of encouraging students to read, and not just read, but also understand. Hence, the researchers used the Collaborative Learning Technique to enhance the students’ reading comprehension.

The Collaborative Learning Technique is a type of instructional method that allows the student to create a small group where they can learn to work collaboratively with the members of their group to achieve their common objectives. The collaborative Learning Technique can help the learners practice their language communication skills because they can learn to interact with their group members, which may be beneficial for them. After all, the students can improve their language communication skills through cooperation or collaboration and improve their achievement in the given task as a group and as a student (Solanki and Acharya, 2019). Cooperative Learning, or Collaborative Learning Technique, is one of the potential aids in overcoming problems such as using the teacher-centered approach, which is not efficient enough to improve students' English proficiency, particularly in reading comprehension, and pupils being less engaged in the teaching and learning process. (Namaziandost et. al., 2019). In connection with this study, the Collaborative Learning Technique is a teaching and learning process that is focused on the learners, or a learner-centered approach, which has become increasingly popular because it has been proven by different studies that it has positive effects on a variety of outcomes, such as improving students’ English oral skills, reading comprehension, and writing skills (Nasri & Biria, 2017).

In addition, collaborative learning is a scientifically proven and successful learning strategy (Li, 2021). The idea of collaborative learning is that students are most likely to learn when they work cooperatively on academic assignments and share ideas (Li, 2021). Besides learning to work together to achieve a common goal or task that can help them understand and improve their language skills, collaborative learning is also helpful for students' reading comprehension. For example, using a short story in this collaborative activity can encourage students to work together to comprehend the content of the short story, enhance their reading ability, and develop their learning and their reading comprehension. Teevno and Raisani's (2017) study about English reading strategies and their impact on student’s performance in reading comprehension revealed that reading strategies based on a collaborative learning approach that includes the use of cognitive and meta-cognitive strategies that serve multiple purposes, such as enhancing the language's speaking and writing abilities, are effective in enhancing students' reading comprehension and should be conducted to help students in their reading performance.

Another similar study, Collaborative Strategic Learning is viewed as a Collaborative Learning Technique that can produce positive results for the community, improve attitudes, and enhance student academic performance. It is believed that using this strategy will provide students with more chances to participate in group discussions, build their courage, express their critical thinking, and grow their willingness to be accountable for their learning (Reformista & Khofshoh, 2022). In line with this study, Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) can also boost the motivation of the students to study for learning, comprehension, creative thinking, critical thinking, group work, and interpersonal abilities, and can be a solution to the difficulties associated with learning to read narrative texts. Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) encourages students to participate in discussions and learning while also enhancing reading comprehension and conceptual understanding (Anggeraini et al., 2018). The CSR method enables students to use a variety of comprehension strategies when engaging in cooperative learning. Strategies such as preview (which can motivate students to

gain interest in the topic, engage them to learn as much as they can with the passage or text in a short time, and teach them to predict what they will learn in the text that is given to them), click and clunk (students should learn how to keep track of their reading comprehension and recognize comprehension gaps), get the gist (teach students to explain the most important point in their own words to ensure that they have grasped what they have read), and wrap up (students create questions and answers regarding what they have learned or review the things they have learned). Therefore, CSR enhances reading comprehension in students who struggle with reading because the students will learn these strategies that they can apply to themselves and learn to read collaboratively (Izfadllillah, 2023).

Methodology

Design

This study used quasi-experimental research, also called causal-comparative, to determine the reading comprehension of 34 Grade 8 students. This is an empirical interventional design used to estimate the causal impact of an intervention on the target population without random assignment. In other words, it establishes a cause-and-effect relationship between or among variables. It typically allows the researcher to control the assignment to the treatment condition using some criteria other than random assignment (Thomas, 2020).

Participants

A total of 34 Grade 8 students from Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School participated in this research. The participants answered pre-test and post-test questionnaires to determine the student’s reading comprehension.

Data Collection and Analysis

The researchers provided a written consent form for the faculty members of Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School and determined which section had the lowest reading comprehension. Then, the researchers prepared the reading materials for three different short stories.

The researchers also prepared validated pre-test and post-test questionnaires that contained 20 items of questions that were connected with the three short stories, and whose contents were general information, the meaning of words, language features, and sequence that determined the reading comprehension of the students.

The researchers completed the data-gathering process in two days. On the first day, the researchers discussed the importance of the study, gave copies of the three stories and pre-test questionnaires to the teacher, and the teacher facilitated the students' answering those questionnaires during face-to-face classes. Each story needed 30 minutes to read and answer: 15 minutes for the respondents to read and understand the story, and 15 minutes to answer the questionnaires.

After knowing the results of the pre-test, the researchers ranked the students based on their scores and averages in those three pre-test questionnaires. The rank helped the researchers divide the participants into two groups: the controlled group and the experimental group, to which the Collaborative Learning Technique was applied.

After one week, on the second day of gathering data, the researchers gave a list of the names of those students who were included in the controlled (individual) and experimental (collaborative) groups: 17 students for the controlled group and 17 students for the experimental group. Then, the researchers discussed the steps in collaborative learning with the teacher so that she could implement the Collaborative Learning Technique.

The steps created by the researchers are:

Step 1: Groupings (the students were divided into groups by the teacher).

Step 2: Assign roles (the students divided the roles into categories such as scanning, finding meaning, reading, etc.).

Step 3: Skimming (the students read the general overview or main points).

Step 4: Scanning (the students searched for words that were unfamiliar to them or difficult to understand)

Step 5: Find meaning (the students interpreted the meaning based on the context clues).

Step 6: Intensive reading (the students read the printed material and assign a person in each paragraph or in more than one paragraph; they can explain what they have understood based on what they read).

Step 7: Brainstorming (the students discussed their realizations, reflections, analysis, etc.)

Step 8: Evaluation (the students answered the questions about the printed material).

The Collaborative Learning Technique and individual reading process were applied by the students during their face-to-face classes that were facilitated by the teacher. Each story required 30 minutes to read and answer: 20 minutes for the collaborative process and individual reading, and 10 minutes for answering the online post-test questionnaires that were sent by the researchers. The teacher provided portable wi-fi for the students to answer the online post-test questionnaires. The teacher distributed the file of the first reading material for The Two Brothers that was sent by the researchers, which the students in both groups read and comprehended for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the students in both groups answered the online post-test questionnaires, which contained the same content as the pre-test questionnaires. The same procedure was followed with the second and third stories, which were The Cowrie Shell (Thai Folktale) by Supanee Khanchnathiti and The Aged Mother (Japanese Folktale) by Matsuo Basho.

The pre-test and post-test results were tailed based on the appropriate statistical treatment and techniques described in this chapter.

Results and Discussion

In this chapter, the results of the study are presented and discussed concerning the focus of the study, which was to determine if there was an enhancement of students’ reading comprehension using Collaborative Learning Technique.

The table presents the level of reading comprehension of the students in the pre-test for the stories of “Two Brothers," “Makato and the Cowrie Shell," and “The Aged Mother” with a weighted mean, standard deviation, and interpretation.

Table 1 shows the level of reading comprehension of the students in the pre-test. The story of "Makato and the Cowrie Shell" got the highest mean of 3.02, and SD of 1.41 and is rated as “satisfactory," while the story of "Two Brothers" got the lowest mean of 3.02 and SD of 1.41 and is rated as “Satisfactory” as well.

The overall mean of 3.12 with a standard deviation of 1.41 implies that the students' level of reading comprehension in the pre-test for the three stories is “Satisfactory."

According to Januarty (2019), a pre-test is a reading comprehension test used to gather information and gauge students’ level of literal and inferential comprehension before the actual implementation of a study’s treatment.

Table 1

Level of reading comprehension of the students during the pre-test.

Reformista, M. N., & Khofshoh, Z. A. (2022). COLLLABORATIVE STRATEGIC READING (CSR) IN THE

EFFECTIVENESS OF TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION. Karangan: Jurnal Bidang Kependidikan,

Pembelajaran, dan Pengembangan, 4(1), 49-57.

Solanki, K., & Acharya, P. (2019). EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLABORATIVE LEARNING ON READING

COMPREHENSION.https://www.academia.edu/43294006/EFFECTIVENESS_OF_COLLABORATIVE_LEARNING_

ON_READING_COMPREHENSION

Teevno, R. & Raisani, R. (2017). English Reading Strategies and their Impact on Students' Performance in

Reading Comprehension. ranian efl Learners’ Reading Comprehension and Attitude

toward Reading. Ikala, Revista De Lenguaje Y Cultura, 25(1), 55–73.

https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.v25n01a05Impact-on-in-Teevno- Raisani/13da8f424cb816b4b5b14faee6092ad9cc1f6e89

Academic Reading for Seeking Learning Opportunities

Gabriel Rodríguez; Marisstella Guevara; Alcibiades Reyes - Panama

Abstract

In a world where everything is becoming easier, students have forgotten how important it is to work on the skills that help their academic success. A situation that gets worse without the correct professional guidance. This research arises from the need to determine and expose the opportunities that freshman students at CRU Coclé can obtain through academic reading. This investigation was carried out through a Google Forms questionnaire with questions related to the perspectives that freshman students of 2023 have about academic reading and their experiences with such practice during their first year at college. According to the results of this research, the sample group did have a glimpse of what academic reading is. Furthermore, some learning opportunities were developed thus enriching some of their previous skills. Therefore, this research shows that the opportunities determined through this work are achievable since the students faced academic reading on a small scale.

Keywords: Learning opportunities, academic reading, English language, critical thinking, language skills.

Introduction

Academic reading is a critical component of higher education, yet one of the most loathed by English freshmen students. A study directed by Chandran & Shah (2019) states that “the main issue that has been significant is that although reading skill is regarded as the most important skill in the academic sector, it is not promoted and not successful as expected among the students” (p. 3373). Academic reading is essential for freshmen students in any aspect of language acquisition, even so, it is commonly overshadowed by other types of learning practices. Such a problem is tightly linked to students' lack of knowledge to understand the vocabulary implemented in this type of reading and their perspective on the analytical process of reading, which leads them to boredom and apathy. However, the struggle lies primarily in the lack of correct academic reading implementation and guidance because, as stated by Maguire, et al. (2020), “...academic reading expectations are often tacit and difficult to articulate, highlighting the need for more explicit support and instruction.” (p. 2). Therefore, academic reading represents a powerful tool to achieve different learning outcomes, a tool that is uncultivated among English first-year students and needs to be enhanced.

Theoretical Framework

Academic reading is a deep process that goes beyond understanding what you are reading. AR's primary purpose is to boost the acquisition, understanding, and building of knowledge through academic success standards (Miller & Merdian, 2020). Accordingly, academic reading requires the student's commitment to be successful in reading, as well as the teacher's instructions to guide the student to meet the requirements of such academic expectations. “Reading experts agree that competency in academic reading is learned, yet students receive very little explicit, discipline-specific instruction” (Howard, 2018, as cited in Wood, 2022, para. 5).

Likewise, academic reading is a great source of learning opportunities for students. Academic reading provides a great source of professional outcomes. Students who take a deep approach when reading use

higher-order cognitive skills, however, it acknowledges the reader with multiple benefits (Hermida, 2009, p.2). “It helps learners develop other related skills such as grammar, vocabulary, and writing” (Koch, 1974, as cited in Lalicic & Dubravac, 2021, p.24). Jenkins et al. (1984) stated that words are learned better if they are read from context rather than superficially and the more students read in context the more they increase the acquisition of new words.

According to Cooper (2022) “reading develops the critical thinking skills that are essential to success in a wide range of areas: skills of analysis, interpretation, and of being able to create an argument and explain it” (para. 3). Moreover, “metacognition is essential for the development of reading and writing skills”. Thereby, through reading, students can develop their critical thinking skills (Eser, 2021, as cited in Hicks, 2023, p.7). Besides, Cooper (2022) makes it clear that reading makes you enter a new world, in which you face the different techniques that writers use to carry out their work and in turn, you will also be observing new terms that could be added to your vocabulary. Eventually, you will be developing the way you express yourself, whether orally or in writing, because reading also develops your analytical skills. Hermida (2009) also addressed the problem that students do not differentiate between academic reading and casual reading, and that issue will later affect them diversely.

Methodology

The instrument for this investigation was carried out through a Google Forms questionnaire with 10 questions related to the perspectives that freshman students of 2023 had about academic reading and their experiences with it during their first year at college. The sample group was made up of 30 students, of which 13 were male, and 17 were female. 93.3% are between the ages 18-24, 3.3% are between 25-30, and 3.3% are more than 30 years old.

Results and Discussion

According to the students’ perceptions of their reading skills in English before they enrolled in college in 2023, 6.7% answered they had excellent reading skills, 56.7% said that it was good, 16.7% stated they wouldn't complain, and 20% answered they were not good at reading. Out of 30 responses, the majority rated themselves as good readers.

According to whether students faced academic reading during their first year as an English Degree student at CRU Coclé (2023), out of 30 answers, 86.7% said that they did face academic reading as freshmen and 13.3% said that they did not face it.

According to whether students received guidance for academic reading or not, out of 30 answers, 23 freshmen agreed that teachers helped them with academic reading by instructing them about the academic texts they were reading and making them aware of it, however, it is essential to highlight that several answers highlighted that only one teacher instructed them in academic reading. On the other hand, 7 answers stated that they did not receive any help from their teachers.

According to the students' rating of their experience regarding academic reading, out of 30 answers, 6.7% rated it as awful, 3.3% rated it as not well, 46.7% rated it as a work in progress, 40% as well, and 3.3% superbly.

According to the student’s perspectives on the learning opportunities academic reading provided them (during 2023). Each learning opportunity could be selected by all respondents (30), thus each opportunity percentage is based individually on 100%. Therefore, 83%(25/30) said they had new vocabulary acquisition through academic reading, 63%(19/30) had speech improvements, 67%(20/30) had a better understanding of English grammar, 37%(11/30) had writing skill improvements, and 20%(06/30) a critical thinking development.

According to how influential is academic reading for students´ English language acquisition and its effectiveness, out of 30 answers, 26 answers agreed that academic reading is highly influential in improving the level and skills of the English Language. Consequently, 4 answers stated that it's partially effective.

According to whether, and why, their previous perspectives about academic reading could change if they had received some type of external motivation from their own. From 30 replies, 24 stated that their previous perspective on academic reading might have changed if they had received an external source of motivation because they would have been more engaged. Furthermore, it would have helped them understand the texts better, encouraging them to learn more and continue improving. On the other hand, 5 students were insecure about it since they stated that they can motivate themselves. Lastly, only 1 student said no.

If students consider that academic reading is promoted at CRU Coclé Why? From 30 answers, 8 stated that academic reading is not promoted at CRU Coclé. 20 answers stated that academic reading is promoted at CRU Cocle by teachers themselves and few activities. Besides, 2 answers were unsure about whether it is promoted or not.

According to what other academic benefits they think they can gain or have gained, through academic reading, out of 30 answers the most repeated benefits among all the students were: expanded vocabulary, broader knowledge, better critical thinking, grammar improvements, better pronunciation, and speech, helping exercise the brain, increased comprehension of complex texts, and increased memorization and research skills.

According to what other personal benefits (out academicals) students think they can get from academic reading, out of 30 answers the most repeated benefits among all the students were: better conversations during the daily routine, greater concentration, opportunities for personal growth, greater communication, empowerment, making students holistic, stimulating creativity and perspectives, promoting empathy and understanding, and increasing curiosity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, academic reading is a valuable sub-skill for CRU Coclé ESL learners, it is hence highly important to teach it from the first level. It has numerous beneficial effects if students master it, leading to better learning opportunities such as those determined through this research, which include: expanded vocabulary, pronunciation, and speech improvements, a better understanding of English grammar, improvements in writing skills, broader knowledge, enhanced critical thinking, and overall, increased comprehension. Moreover, according to the results found in this research, academic reading boosts personal growth opportunities, enhances communication, makes students holistic, stimulates students’ creativity and perspectives, promotes empathy and understanding, and increases curiosity. Becoming aware of these learning opportunities will make students' path to success easier. But to achieve this, both students and teachers must work together to practice academic reading until students master this technique, once they do, they will be able to experience the aforementioned learning outcomes. Finally, it is essential to address that to achieve the objectives and benefits of academic reading, this practice must be adequately promoted and implemented at universities from the first year of learning English as a second language.

References

Chandran, Y. & Shah, P. M. (2019). Identifying learners’ difficulties in ESL reading comprehension. Creative

Education, 10(13), 3372-3374. https://doi.org/10.4236/ce.2019.1013259

Cooper, L. (2022). Reading widely to develop critical thinking skills. Seven Spring Education Royal Pub.

Retrieved March 4, 2024, from https://www.seven-springs.co.uk/resource-hub/reading-widely-to-develop-

critical-thinking-skills/#

Hermida, J. (2009). The importance of teaching academic reading skills in first-year university courses. SSRN.

https://ssrn.com/abstract=1419247

Hicks, T. (2023). The effect of reading habits on academic success. Grand Valley State University.

https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gradprojects/389

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Plight of Challenged Readers Age Ranges from 13-15 Years Old: Basis for Proposed Intervention Program, June 2023

Cubacob, Dharline T., Oriel, Patricia S., Pereja, Kyla D.

Poonin, Althea Marie, Santos, Jewel P. - Phillipines

Abstract

Students who were quarantined encountered difficulties in reading and other problems. Hence, this research explored the plight of challenged readers with an income of less than 12,082, which typically involves low socio-economic status. In conducting this study, the researchers identified the causes of the difficulties faced by challenged readers as respondents. The study could be useful to the school as their basis for analyzing the students who are also challenged readers. The study could also be used as a guide to improve the challenge readers’ skills in reading and to propose an intervention for the students.

The qualitative research method was used in gathering and analyzing the data. Purposive sampling was also used to choose the five (5) respondents who reside within the geographic area of Laguna. A semi-structured, in-depth interview was conducted, and the results were analyzed using thematic analysis.

The findings revealed the causes of why readers are having difficulties reading. It shows that they have low self-esteem, are not exposed to reading, and because of family matters, affect their reading skills. Furthermore, the researchers found out that the socio-economic status of the respondents is just one of the reasons why they belong to Challenge Readers, but it is also because of family problems, and some are due to their leisure.

Keywords: Challenged readers, difficulties reading, intervention program

Introduction

Looking at written symbols and extracting meaning from them is reading. People envisioned how the characters viewed the world when reading. As a consequence, individuals gain a deeper understanding of others and hold fewer prejudices. In today's society, reading is essential because it enables everyone to keep up with the times. There were so many new things occurring in the world over time; technology and skills are evolving, and there is no alternative to reading and gaining knowledge to acclimate to all of these (Awal, 2020). Reading skills are one of the most essential aspects of the English curriculum at all grade levels. It was observed that teaching reading strategies is deemed a necessary procedure for skill development (Amin, 2019). Due to the rapid pace of technological advancements and the evolution of skills, literacy remains vital in modern society. Continuous learning is required to remain abreast of the most recent developments and changes, and reading is the primary means of acquiring knowledge and staying informed.

However, approximately 60% of students worldwide need to improve their reading abilities. The highest proportion of these individuals were adolescents (Vazquez-Lopez & Huerta-Manzanilla, 2020). According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 61% of adolescents aged 12 to 15 had not yet attained the minimum levels of reading proficiency. This occurred even though education coverage was at its highest level in history and the majority of pupils who lacked basic reading skills attended school. Their inability to read demonstrates that access to education is not a guarantee of quality. They must learn to tackle fundamental reading comprehension problems. Despite the widespread availability of education, many students,

especially adolescents, continue to struggle with literacy proficiency. The inability of a substantial percentage of students to read proficiently highlights the need to address fundamental reading comprehension issues.

Reading comprehension is an activity involving the reconstruction of the reader's knowledge, which requires the reader to interpret and analyze each section of the text to comprehend the actual reading content. Reading comprehension is a complex cognitive process requiring two primary abilities: comprehending the meaning of words and conceptualizing verbal concepts. It is also a social constructivist process based on prior knowledge (Sari et al., 2020). It examines the cognitive and interactive aspects of reading comprehension, emphasizing the significance of language comprehension, cognitive capacities, and the influence of past knowledge on the successful comprehension of written material.

Poverty was neither complicated nor a collection of multiple issues with extensive effects. The fact that many of the risk factors associated with low socioeconomic status (SES) inhibit brain development and function is perhaps the most significant finding for the education system. Moreover, the effect was even greater in cases of intergenerational destitution. Poverty substantially affects regions of the brain associated with language development and reading, according to one of the consistent findings. For many economically disadvantaged children, the fact that they frequently misheard words made matters worse. The inability to perceive precise language sounds results in difficulties with pronunciation and spelling (Sanchez, 2021). This statement underscores the impact of socioeconomic variables on cognitive ability and educational achievements, specifically in the context of language acquisition and reading competence.

Multiple factors influence a child's educational achievements, including their family, their family's conduct, their socioeconomic status, their behavior toward their parents, and so on. The majority of pupils with low socioeconomic status had poor academic performance, which led them to enter the workforce at a young age. It was discovered that parents from low socioeconomic origins were less interested in their children's education. After completing their secondary education, children from low socioeconomic backgrounds were more focused on employment than continuing their education (Vadivel et al., 2022). This highlights the difficulties that persons hailing from low socioeconomic backgrounds may have about their academic achievements, familial relationships, and the process of transitioning from education to the workforce.

Hence, this study aimed to explore the lived experiences of challenged readers from low-income families. The findings were used in crafting an intervention program to solve these problems that challenged readers may use to improve their reading skills. Especially those who came from poverty were the ones who would benefit the most from this study.

Objectives of the Study

This study aims to:

(1) To examine the reading difficulties of challenged readers as inferred from their narratives., (2) To assess the lifestyle of those students who have reading difficulties. (3) To craft an intervention plan that may aid the difficulties of the challenged readers and the adverse effects on their daily lives.

Methodology

Design

The research design used in this study was a phenomenological research design to understand a phenomenon's universal nature by exploring the views of those who had experienced it. This research was one of the most commonly used methodologies in qualitative research. to seek reality from individuals' narratives of their experiences and feelings and to produce in-depth descriptions of the phenomenon.

Participants

A total of ten (10) challenged readers who belong with a monthly income below 12,082, i.e., those with a gross household monthly income of less than 12,082 as discussed by Zoleta (2002) participated in this

Theme 1.1: Self-esteem

Self-esteem is having confidence in one’s worth or abilities; having low esteem means not having or having low confidence in one’s abilities. One of the causes of the respondents' reading difficulties they have encountered low self-esteem in reading; they are shy, afraid, and lack confidence when they are asked to read in English.

During the interview, the researchers asked the respondents what difficulties they had encountered in reading. All five respondents answered that they have low self-esteem and confidence in reading.

The five (5) respondents have similar answers: they all encountered being shy and having no confidence in reading, and some of them are afraid to read in front of their classmates because they are afraid to make mistakes in reading. One of them encountered being teased by his classmates, which made him lose his confidence in reading. One of them endured bullying from his peers, which diminished his confidence in his reading ability. And most of them lost their motivation to read because they were afraid to read a passage incorrectly.

In summary, low self-esteem impacts the respondents' reading ability. Tajfel and Turner (2019) put forth a similar theory that claims people form a sense of self-identity through their participation in social groups. According to this theory, children from low-income families may have low self-esteem and a negative self-concept as a result of social marginalization and discrimination, which can impact their motivation and interest in reading. Comparable to what the respondents have experienced. They have low self-esteem as a result of instances in which they were humiliated for reading and/or ridiculed for their inability to read, resulting in a lack of motivation to engage in reading.

Theme 1.2: Exposure to Reading

Exposure to reading is how much time someone spends reading, and often they read on a daily basis. The researcher asked the respondents how often they read, or if they spend time reading at least once a day. Having exposure to reading helps expose one to different knowledge, new words, and ways of using language, which builds language skills. All five (5) respondents have no reading habit; they do not have time to at least read at home or even in school.

The respondents have similarities when it comes to exposure to reading: almost all of them don’t have time to read when they are at home or whenever they are free; they tend to spend their free time in leisure activities; and some of them don’t have any guidance or help from parents to help them overcome their difficulties.

According to the respondents' responses, a lack of reading habits and exposure was one of the causes of their reading difficulties. They cannot devote their time to reading because it must be spent with family or for recreation. According to a study by Dolean et al. (2019), limited exposure to enriching experiences is one factor that affects children's reading development. Similar to this, Chen et al. (2018) discovered that the parent-child relationship and the student's learning motivation both mediate reading ability. Most of the respondent´s parents were preoccupied with work, and one of the respondents had a fractured family, which resulted in them not receiving the support and assistance they required from their parents. This decreases their desire to enhance their reading.

Theme 1.3: Family Matters

The common cause of difficulties encountered by the respondents is family matters that concern happenings with their family that affected their reading ability and skill, such as the involvement of parents and financial problems.

Out of five (5) respondents, four (4) of them answered that one because their reading ability falls under family affairs. Respondent one (1) answered that he needed to take care of his siblings, and he has to work for their everyday needs, while respondent (3) said that her mother is busy with work because she comes from a broken family, and her mother needs to work for their needs, so her mother doesn’t have enough time to

teach her how to read at home. Similar to respondent four (4), who said that he needs to take care of his sibling. Lastly, respondent five (5) stated that being unable to read was not a big deal to their family, and he doesn’t have anyone to seek help from.

In conclusion, the effect of parental support and family affairs on reading ability was very evident to the respondents. It was shown that the lack of reading development of the respondents was caused by an inadequate home learning environment and support from their parents, as well as by their social and economic status. In a related study, Reyes (2019) and Chen et al. (2018) found that the children's limited exposure to reading activities and insufficient parental support were two factors that contributed to their poor reading skills. And a similar study that discussed the relationship between socioeconomic status and the reading development of children, studied by Dolean et al. (2019). Whereas the respondents also experienced situations where they needed to provide for their family and did not have enough money to support their studies, they temporarily stopped attending school, which resulted in poor reading abilities.

Affects the Daily Lives

Three (3) factors affected the daily lives of the challenged readers while conducting the interview.

Theme 2.1: Reading Level

The reading level is simply a measure of the student's ability to read words or sentences. It shows how a student can read independently without the acknowledgement of other people. Importantly, reading level is a way to test the reading ability of the students and whether they understand something in a selection.

Three of the respondents say that they are having difficulties reading a selection.

As a result, the reading levels of the five respondents are readily apparent, indicating that they have reading difficulties. The findings of the study conducted by Reyes (2019) disclosed a lack of access to books and other reading materials, limited exposure to reading activities, and insufficient parental support. The study suggests that there is a need to provide more access to reading materials and reading activities for students from low-income families. Overall, the study sheds light on the factors that contribute to poor reading performance among children from low-income households in the Philippines and suggests potential interventions to improve their reading abilities.

Theme 2.2: Academically challenged

Academically challenged students' performance inside the school It is their behavior towards their teachers or fellow students. Mostly, the academic challenges affect the middle school level.

All of the respondents except respondent 3 agreed that they are experiencing poor reading skills in their academic performance in school.

In conclusion, the effect of academic difficulty was quite noticeable. According to what they said and what the respondents said, they do not know what they are reading. According to Dolean, D., et al. (2019), there is a well-established relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement, with students from lower SES backgrounds having lower levels of academic achievement than students from higher SES backgrounds. It also emphasized the significance of providing support and resources to students from disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances to facilitate their academic success.

Theme 2.3: Communication skills

Communication skills are a way for students to convey thoughts or ideas about something. Also, it focuses on the students' skills and how they understand each other. One of the causes of the difficulties in reading encountered by the respondents is poor communication skills.

During the interview, the researchers asked the respondents what difficulties they had encountered in reading. All of the respondents answered that they had encountered difficulties when it came to communication skills.

Based on the answers of the respondents, they are afraid to talk or communicate with other people,

especially when that person is good at English. They are afraid to communicate with other people because they cannot understand what they are saying because some of the words are unfamiliar to them.

In conclusion, the effect of communication skills on daily life has been extremely accurate up to this point, and students are still experiencing this type of circumstance.

According to Wood and Hartshorne (2019), many students struggle with language and communication, which can pose a daily challenge if not supported. It can manifest as academic underachievement, disengagement, and behavioral, emotional, and mental health difficulties. Many of these challenges are hidden and may never be identified, but they can have varyingly significant effects on a young person's language and literacy abilities, as well as their life opportunities. These difficulties with spoken language will also impair their reading ability.

Proposed Intervention Plan

The intervention plan consisted of ideas from the researchers and participants. It is analyzed and summarized to generate a new way to enhance the students' reading.

Theme 3.1: Enhancement of Reading Engagement

Enhancement of reading engagement refers to how the respondents will be inclined to read. This also refers to having a daily reading session and parental involvement in reading. Parents should facilitate their children's learning; however, in the case of the respondents that the researchers interviewed, only one had a reading session with his mother.

This means that parents and teachers should cooperate for the sake of the child's learning. Although you have a reading session, it will not be enough if they do not practice comprehension through worksheets. Yet, the other four respondents always hang out with their friends, which causes them to not have time to read. During the interview, the researchers asked them what they feel whenever they have difficulties reading, and they answered that:

This indicates that all of them have low self-esteem, and some are losing interest in reading. If there is no parental guidance for their children who struggle to read at an early age, they will have more difficulty reading. The Matthew effect theory also emphasizes the significance of early intervention and assistance for struggling readers. Students must engage in daily reading sessions, which their parents should supervise and encourage.

These responses from the respondents show that although they wanted to read properly, they could not do it because of their low self-esteem, which caused them to lose their will to read. It is also because when respondent 5 was asked if he did not try to read, he answered that:

Through his answer, the researchers observed that he is not exposed to reading English text. Educators and parents can help prevent the negative effects of the Matthew effect and ensure that all children have the opportunity to succeed in school and beyond by providing these children with the resources and assistance they need to develop strong literacy skills. Gray, Gore, and Craig-Hare (2018) also examined the relationship between access to high-quality reading materials and reading achievement for low-income children. They discovered that low-income children had less access to high-quality reading materials than their peers from higher-income families. This parallels the circumstances of the respondents to the study, who lack reading materials and are therefore not exposed to an English text.

Theme 3.2: Enhancing Language Communication Skills

The researchers proposed an intervention for enhancing language communication skills where the respondents must engage themselves in activities where they can practice their pronunciation and also enhance their vocabulary. This will contain worksheets about vocabulary and pictographs that can help them understand a word better as they cannot just read the word but also see its description and picture. In this case, once the respondents master these kinds of activities, it will help them enhance their language skills and be able to communicate and participate actively in school. Also, most of them have limited access to

reading materials due to their socio-economic circumstances. Reading materials are one of the factors that can help students develop their reading skills and habits.

There are difficulties encountered by the respondents in reading that reading materials can help overcome, and these are:

Based on the respondent’s answers, all of them have difficulties pronouncing words and also cannot understand high-falutin words. They cannot do their tasks correctly, and it also affects their performance in school as they cannot answer their teacher's questions during discussions. Moreover, some of them answered that during their examination, they could not understand the question as it contained unfamiliar words. Even though they asked their teachers and peers, they still could not understand it.

In a similar study conducted by Sweller (2018), he suggested that children from low-income households may have higher cognitive loads due to their limited access to resources such as books, educational materials, and experiences, which can lead to poorer cognitive and linguistic growth. This can impair their ability to comprehend complex sentences and vocabulary, resulting in reading comprehension difficulties. In addition, children from low-income households may be exposed to additional stressors, such as food insecurity and unstable housing, which can further deplete their cognitive resources and increase their cognitive load.

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EdTech Embeddedness: Empowering Critical and Analytical Reading among English Language Learners (ELLs) of Pakistan

Imran Hussain - Pakistan

Abstract

In the Pakistani context, English Language Learners (ELLs) are approaching substantial echelons of complications in nurturing critical and analytical competence about reading. Misapprehension of texts, pressure to perform, cultural and contextual barriers, and comparison with native and flawed pronunciation are the foremost bases of reading anxiety among ELLs of Pakistan. However, it is noteworthy that fostering educational technology (EdTech) in an instructional context not only facilitates ELLs to overcome such confronts but also empowers them to be adept and dexterous readers. EdTech enables ELLs of Pakistan to have access to assorted reading texts, engage in interactive instruction, and endow them with personalized and customized learning corridors. It serves them through audio-visual support, scaffolding and corrective feedback, and analytical outfits for textual analysis, and sponsors cooperative instruction and access to progress tracking and ongoing assessment. As a result, EdTech has had a great impact in empowering ELLs of Pakistan to be critical, inspired, analytical, convinced, and proficient learners as well as readers. In addition, promoting cross and multi-cultural interaction, guided practice, drill, and supportive feedback, graphic illustrations and scaffolding support, SQ3R, practice, self-assessment and integration of educational technology are effectual tools to minimize reading anxieties and maximize analytical and critical reading among ELLs of Pakistan.

Keywords: Reading Anxieties, EdTech, Critical and Analytical Reading, Pakistani ELLs

Introduction

Critical and analytical reading shores learners to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the perceptions accessible in the texts. It facilitates them to grasp the ideas and also to articulate their outlooks and opinions critically on the texts being read (Norbaiyah et al., 2014). EdTech engrosses the exploitation of computers, laptops, cell phones, tablets, and erstwhile technological appliances for instruction in general and language instruction in particular. Language instruction is propped up with audiobooks, interactive boards, flipped classrooms, virtual classrooms, multimedia, digital libraries, and digital dictionaries. Digital media can augment learners’ interest, eagerness, and association in the process of instruction using gamification, interaction, and personalized approaches.

Additionally, it unlocks avenues for exploration, experimentation, cooperation, and a sense of spirited competition among learners (Rosmalen & Westera, 2014). The soar of smart machines and digital gears has specified impetus to read texts critically and analytically to skim the pertinent information from a substantial spring or material. For that critical and analytical adeptness is exceedingly reliant on the utilization of technology and digital modes (Silvhiany, 2019). Insufficient attainment of critical and analytical reading grades in the low-level conception of the texts. Previous studies sustained the perspective that students at varied levels are not competent to outshine the requisite comprehension rank and are found deficient in critical reading skills (Mohd Zin et al., 2014; Zainal & Seng, 2017).

supportive feedback on the part of peers and instructors can put the ELLs on the right path and refrain from budding reading anxiety among them. If the spotlight of attention is swung from perfection to communication then the shocks and anxieties of ELLs can be abridged to a great extent in the Pakistani context. Incorporating conducive and positive reading exposure through graded readers strategy, diversity, and relevant and extensive exposure to reading materials are also effectual gears to minimize reading anxieties and maximize analytical and critical reading among ELLs of Pakistan.

Structuring a glossary and acquaintance with contextual constraints through key terms, thematic vocabulary, and cultural references are highly valuable stratagems to condense reading anxieties and advance critical and analytical reading among ELLs. Besides, cultivating reading strategies through SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review), graphic illustrations, and scaffolding support are also advantageous to lessen reading anxieties and foster critical and analytical reading proficiency among ELLs. Last but not least, developing mechanisms for plummeting performance anxiety through alternative assessment, a supportive environment, and integration of EdTech can be massive and impactful in tumbling reading anxieties and advancing critical and analytical reading among ELLs. It will empower readers to expand their poise and enhance their conception and aspiration of analytical and critical reading know-how.

Conclusion

Reading is an essential language skill and in the Pakistani context, ELLs are in front of copious reading anxieties that obstruct their ability to expand expertise in terms of critical and analytical reading. Reading anxiety consigns to the apprehensions and challenges that ELLs encounter during the reading process in general and critical and analytical reading in particular. ELLs reading anxieties comprise a fear of misunderstanding the texts, unfamiliarity with cultural and contextual parameters, the pressure of performance at an academic and professional echelon, faulty pronunciation during loud reading, and fear of incapacity to attain native-like reading fluency. However, it is noteworthy to specify that in a digital era, EdTech has transformed the situation considerably as it has aided ELLs, chiefly in Pakistan to not only curtail their reading anxieties but also abet them in gaining expertise in critical and analytical reading.

EdTech facilitates ELLs of Pakistan to have access to diverse reading texts, engage in interactive debate, endow them with personalized and customized learning paths, prop them up through audio-visual shore-up, scaffolding and corrective feedback, and analytical tools for textual analysis, and promote cooperative instruction and access to progress tracking and ongoing assessment. By leveraging the role of EdTech to the maximum, it empowers ELLs of Pakistan to navigate through the complex ELT landscape and to nurture critical and analytical reading adeptness by triumphing varied layers of reading anxieties. Apart from EdTech involvement, numerous other strategies are uniformly advantageous in terms of reducing reading anxieties among ELLs and augmenting their critical and analytical reading. These include cross and multi-cultural interaction, guided practice, drill, supportive feedback, graphic illustrations and scaffolding support, SQ3R, practice, and self-assessment.

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Skills in a Malaysian Reading Classroom. The 2014 WEL International Academic Conference Proceedings,

Bali Indonesia, 208- 219.

Rosmalen, P., Westera, W., (2014) Introducing serious games with Wikis: empowering the teacher with simple

technologies, Interactive Learning Environments. 22 (5)

Silvhiany, S. (2019). Critical Digital Literacies in Education 4.0: Preparing Students for Uncertainties of Post-

Truth World. Lingua, Journal of Bahasa & Sastra, 19, 102.

Wu, Q. (2015). Designing a Smartphone App to Teach English (L2) Vocabulary. Computers Education, 85, 170-

179.

Zainal, Z., & Seng, N. M. (2017). Critical Reading Skills at Tertiary Level. LSP International Journal, 4, 117-130.

Reading: The Key to Success, Better Life and Educational Outcomes

Sandra Mensah Obeng - Ghana

Abstract

In an era characterized by rapid technological advancement and evolving societal needs, the ability to read proficiently remains a fundamental skill essential for success, better life outcomes, and enhanced educational achievements. Teachers are urged to provide a dynamic learning environment that promotes inquiry, discovery, and reflection by embracing a constructivist perspective. This will help students to develop critical reading skills and a deeper understanding of the reading material. Again, teachers can differentiate learning experiences, personalize instruction, and meet the requirements of a wide range of students by incorporating digital tools and resources. To enable children to become proficient readers who can succeed academically and lead better lives, this paper aims to provide insights and guide practice regarding the various instructional strategies and activities to teach reading.

Keywords: Reading, constructivist approach, teaching strategies, digital technology, better life, educational outcomes

Introduction

One of the goals of English Language Education is to achieve competency in the four language skills i.e. speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Of all the language skills, Maduabuchi and Emechebe (2016) describe reading as the most important and the basics for studying a variety of disciplines. One’s ability to read well contributes to an increase in knowledge and, consequently, helps the learner achieve academic success, a better life, and professional growth (Grabe & Stoller,2014). According to Saed et al. (2018), reading is a context-dynamic process that enables learners to accurately decipher the intended meaning of the target material. Vacca et al. (2017) also posit that reading occurs when learners can make connections between their previous knowledge and the new information and engage in critical thinking to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate the text. In the language classroom, teachers can employ a variety of reading strategies/ activities such as the use of prior knowledge, questioning, visual aids, predicting, etc. to enhance learners’ reading skills. The application of reading strategies leads to the development of reading abilities (Stanovich, 1986). This paper seeks to generate insights and inform practice on the various instructional strategies and activities to teach reading to empower students to become proficient readers who can excel academically and lead better lives.

Review of Literature

This aspect provides insights into the strategies to teach reading, the role of digital technology in teaching reading, and the constructivist theory.

Strategies for teaching reading

In the language classroom, teachers can employ several strategies to enhance learners' reading skills. These include; predicting, visualizing, question generation, making connections, and summarizing (Parris et al;1996). By making predictions, learners can use their prior knowledge and experiences to make guesses and formulate ideas as they read (Block & Israel,2005). This strategy allows for more student participation, which increases student interest and enhances their comprehension of the text. It is important to compare the

actual text’s results with the prediction process as it helps learners grasp the material better.

Adler (2001) posits that visualization requires the reader to construct an image of what they have read. The reader retains the image in their mind as a symbol of how they understand the text. Teachers can encourage their students to create scenes, characters, and activities, or to write about the picture that comes to them when they visualize the text. Making connections is another strategy that can be used in the reading process. By making connections, the learners can draw on existing knowledge and connect the concepts in the text to personal experiences. According to Parris et al. (1996), reading takes on a deeper meaning when a reader makes connections between the text's ideas and their own experiences, opinions, and the things happening in the outside world.

Another strategy is questioning generation. The questioning process requires readers to ask questions of themselves to construct meaning, improve comprehension, find answers to problems, and discover new knowledge (Harvey &Goudvis,2000). By employing this strategy, readers can go beyond the text and engage in an in-depth analysis to enhance a better understanding of the text. Effective questioning increases one's awareness of one's level of comprehension.

Lastly, with the summarizing strategy, learners can determine what is essential when reading by synthesizing, organizing, and restructuring the text to enhance effective comprehension of the text. Employing effective strategies in teaching reading is crucial for academic success, professional development, as well as understanding the complexities of contemporary society.

The role of digital technology in teaching reading

In the context of teaching reading, language teachers use various digital technologies to enhance learners’ reading skills. Chhabra (2012) posits that language teachers can use smart boards to enhance reading skills by displaying text, images, videos, and interactive activities; this helps learners engage with the material leading to better understanding and retention. Rasinski et al. (2009) also assert that tape recorders can be used to enhance fluency skills in readers. As readers listen to the recorded version of the text while following along with the written words, it helps them to develop their fluency skills by internalizing the rhythm and flow of the language.

Yeboah et al. (2023) posit that the integration of game-based learning motivates pupils to come to school, actively engages them in the reading process, helps pupils to easily assimilate reading contents, makes lessons lively and fun, and builds collaborative skills amongst learners. The use of digital technology in reading activities makes the learning process more student-centered than teacher-centered; with this, learners can develop a broader understanding of the learning (Rakhmanova, 2022) hence increasing language learners’ autonomy and confidence.

The theoretical framework for this study is Lev Vygotsky’s (1978) social constructivist theory. Constructivists believe that learning takes place in a sociocultural environment and view learners as active constructors of their learning environment. Jonassen (1996) outlines four principles of constructivist learning: the principle of knowledge construction; the principle of active learning; the principle of social interaction and cooperative learning; and the principle of situated learning.

The principle of knowledge construction holds that teaching should be viewed as assisting students in constructing their knowledge and reflecting on it by guiding them in the process of making meaning of it, rather than as a means of transferring, imparting, or mapping the teacher's information onto the student. The principle of active learning states that knowledge construction results from the activity. Constructivists hold that experiences and interactions with phenomena are inextricably linked to our understanding of them. The inference is that the meaning constructed of phenomena emerges from the interactions with them. Interpersonal interactions play an integral part in how people learn. From a constructivist perspective, learner-learner and learner-teacher interactions are crucial components of learning. Students experience cognitive conflict from peer interaction, and humans all have a propensity to lessen this conflict and

reestablish equilibrium at a higher level (Piaget, 1970). As social beings, humans rely on interactions with others to determine their identity and the viability of their convictions.

According to the principle of situated learning, part of the meaning of a phenomenon is embedded in its context. Understanding and reasoning of phenomena ought to be grounded in the physical and social environments in which they originate. Information regarding the context in which learners experience phenomena is part of the knowledge and related skills they build about those phenomena. The more directly and interactively learners experience phenomena in a meaningful context, the more meaning they are likely to construct. The implication is that learning and teaching a new idea should always happen in the context of its real-world application—that is, in the environment in which the idea is rooted.

Implications of the theory to teaching reading

In the context of teaching reading, Yang and Wilson (2006) believe that teachers need to cease teaching reading by simply practicing reading and focus on guiding students to extend their ability to read constructively. They argue that educators must break free from the disembodied texts that are so prevalent in EFL classrooms while teaching reading. These dematerialized texts have no context, and no particular relevance to students, or their broader learning purposes. The books are usually selected by teachers or textbook authors to illustrate a grammatical point rather than to engage students in meaningful and purposeful reading practices. Third, teachers are not required to read on behalf of the students. Students may not need to read the material at all at times because of the amount of support that the pre-, during-, and post-reading activities can offer. Rather, educators should allow students to select books and reading strategies that best fit their individual goals and requirements. By so doing, it will enable learners to achieve success in their educational outcomes and to attain better lives outside the classroom context.

Conclusion

In summary, this paper examined the pivotal role of reading in achieving success, better life, and educational outcome. Through the lens of constructivists, the study delved into different strategies for teaching reading, recognizing the significance of fostering active involvement and meaning-making among learners. Additionally, the study highlighted the potential of digital technologies as essential tools for enhancing reading skills in today’s technologically driven world. As teachers, incorporating constructivist principles in teaching reading can empower students not only to understand texts but also to critically analyze and synthesize information, thereby equipping them with the necessary skills to thrive in diverse academic and real-world contexts. Moving forward, teachers must continue exploring cutting-edge pedagogical strategies and leveraging emerging technologies to cultivate a culture of lifelong learning and literacy excellence.

References

Adler, C. R. (Ed.). (2001). Put reading first: The research building blocks for teaching children to read. Jessup,

MD: ED Pubs.

Block, C. & Israel, S. (2005). Reading first and beyond: The complete guide for teachers and literacy coaches.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. (2014). Teaching reading for academic purposes. In M. Celce-Murcia, D. M. Brinton, & M.

A. Snow (Eds.), Teaching English as a second or foreign language (pp. 189-205). Boston, MA: NGL Heinle Cengage Learning.

Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that work teaching comprehension to enhance understanding. York, ME: Stenhouse Publishers

Jonassen, D. (1996). Computers in the classroom: Mindtools for critical thinking. Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Prentice-Hall.

Maduabuchi, C. H., & Emechebe, V. I. (2016). ICT and the Teaching of Reading Comprehension in English as a

Second Language in Secondary Schools: Problems and Prospects. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 4(3), 18-23.

Paris, S. G., Wasik, B. A., & Turner, J. C. (1996). The development of strategic readers. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P.

Mosenthal, & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (pp. 609-641). Mahwah, NJ: LEA.

Piaget, J. 1970. The psychology of the child. New York: Basic Books.

Rakhmanova, M. S. (2022). The role of ICT in teaching and learning foreign languages. Oriental Renaissance:

Innovative, Educational, Natural and Social Sciences, 2(20), 307-314.

Rasinski, T., Homan, S., & Biggs, M. (2009). Teaching reading fluency to struggling readers: Method, materials,

and evidence. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 25(2-3), 192-204.

Saed, A., Mohammadian, A., & Shahi, Y. (2018). The effect of using video technology on improving reading

comprehension of Iranian intermediate EFL learners. Advances in Language and Literary Studies, 9(2), 17-

23.

Stanovich, K. E. (1986). Matthew effects in reading: Some consequences of individual differences in the

acquisition of literacy. Reading Research Quarterly, 21, 360-400.

Vacca, R. T., Vacca, J. L., & Mraz, M. (2017). Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the curriculum.

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Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Yang, L., & Wilson, K. (2006). Second language classroom reading: A social constructivist approach. The

Reading Matrix, 6(3), 364-372.

Yeboah, R., Amponsah, K. D., Commey Mintah, P., Sedofia, J., & Kwarteng Donkor, P. B. (2023). Game-based

learning in Ghanaian primary schools: listening to the views of teachers. Education 3-13, 1-15.

William Enrique Garboza Aguilar

Perú

TALK ABOUT IT

What can you say about "Reading as a key to success, better life, and educational outcomes?"

"It's a receptive skill that we have to improve to reach the best lexical words and expressions in our students. "

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

What has been done in your country about fostering "Reading" to promote student´s success, better life, and educational outcomes at schools?

"It's up to the teacher. The teacher has to motivate the students first. Most students don't like reading in their mother tongue, image in a second language? So the teacher has to be an artist to change in his/her student the way of seeing a reading like an important skill to be better in general."

CONTRIBUTE

How can teachers promote "Reading" as a tool for students to empower their knowledge acquisition, mostly in L2 (second language acquisition), so gaining success, better life, and educational outcomes? Provide a sample of activities or suggestions about it to other teachers worldwide.

"Teachers have to use nice strategies, to motivate to the students to read. Select a text, divide it into pieces, put it inside the envelopes, and give an envelope with the text per group. Ask students to put the text in order, at the end teacher reads the text to check it. After that, it is time to do comprehension activities."

Anna Kosenko

Ukraine

TALK ABOUT IT

What can you say about "Reading as a key to success, better life, and educational outcomes?"

"In the modern world reading is one of the crucial skills. A person who has mastered it is sure to have many more opportunities for professional growth."

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

What has been done in your country about fostering "Reading" to promote student´s success, better life, and educational outcomes at schools?

"In Ukraine, an integrated approach to teaching languages is just starting to develop. Still teaching reading as a key competence plays a significant role here. In universities, courses have been developed to help students feel confident about their reading and I should note those have been a success. As for me, I always integrate reading into my classes"

CONTRIBUTE

How can teachers promote "Reading" as a tool for students to empower their knowledge acquisition, mostly in L2 (second language acquisition), so gaining success, better life, and educational outcomes? Provide a sample of activities or suggestions about it to other teachers worldwide.

"A person who has developed good reading skills is always ahead as he or she can deal with bigger quantities of information which is critical in nowadays quickly developing world. Here I can not but mention exercises tackling skimming and scanning. Some students are confused by those, especially at lower levels of language, but when they have some practice they enjoy them and I use this kind of exercise quite often."

Jordi Sevillano Del Rosario

Panamá

TALK ABOUT IT

What can you say about "Reading as a key to success, better life, and educational outcomes?"

"Reading is a wonderful tool to increase and develop the knowledge about a language and culture."

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

What has been done in your country about fostering "Reading" to promote student´s success, better life, and educational outcomes at schools?

"My country gave new books and computers years ago to support the students and try to motivate them to read more by the use of the technology and new books with current information, but in this moment the government and educational system need an update to promote the interesting in reading."

CONTRIBUTE

How can teachers promote "Reading" as a tool for students to empower their knowledge acquisition, mostly in L2 (second language acquisition), so gaining success, better life, and educational outcomes? Provide a sample of activities or suggestions about it to other teachers worldwide.

"Trying to promote the acquisition of a second language since childhood, because at that moment the children are excited to learn, they want to know and discover about everything, probably they will be very interested in learning a new language, new words, and everything. Besides, with young adults could be different because we feel shame about making mistakes, we want to learn but sometimes we block ourselves with overthinking. So, I think that by increasing the self steem of the students and providing a good and comfortable environment to the students; an environment in which they don't feel judged if they make mistakes, or teaching them that mistakes are something normal. Students are not perfect and probably they will need decades to learn the language. It is okay to make mistakes because you are trying your best, so my suggestion is don't be rude or tough with the students and give them enough confidence."

Barnabas Abangbere Atibiro

Ghana

TALK ABOUT IT

What can you say about "Reading as a key to success, better life, and educational outcomes?"

"Reading is the base for the acquisition of knowledge in many aspects of life. Through reading,one learns a lot from others’ experiences."

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

What has been done in your country about fostering "Reading" to promote student´s success, better life, and educational outcomes at schools?

"There is a deliberate attempt to foster reading among learners in Ghana. Learning, a US supported program seeks to promote reading in basic schools. GALOP, another program, provides funds to basic schools to help learning outcomes. Differentiated learning is also run from basic 1 to basic 3 to promote reading among students. There is improvement in reading abilities among learners through the DL in basic schools"

CONTRIBUTE

How can teachers promote "Reading" as a tool for students to empower their knowledge acquisition, mostly in L2 (second language acquisition), so gaining success, better life, and educational outcomes? Provide a sample of activities or suggestions about it to other teachers worldwide.

"As English is a second language to many students, effective programs have to be put in place to foster the skills in reading. As a language teacher, your lessons must contain a variety of texts to sustain the zeal of learners. Resources like textbooks, charts, dictionaries, and story books should be available for the use of learners. Methods that allow learners to interact with and among themselves, like role play, discussion, drama, and debates should be encouraged in the English Language lessons. Activities such as reading competition, spelling bee and class journals will go a long way to inculcate the interest in reading among learners. News bulletins in classes can also be adapted in the language class for learners to present stories they have written to the class."

Shayira Sánchez

Panamá

TALK ABOUT IT

What can you say about "Reading as a key to success, better life, and educational outcomes?"

"Reading is key to improving at an educational level because it instructs us in different areas and helps us improve grammar and have better spelling. Reading takes us to a magical world, a world to your imagination with the type of reading that You choose, history, novels, literature and etc., reading is creativity and peace."

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

What has been done in your country about fostering "Reading" to promote student´s success, better life, and educational outcomes at schools?

"In Panama, many schools and universities celebrate book or language day. They commemorate this by inviting students to read stanzas from their favorite books. They insist that students read the book they want, we all have different tastes, and the important thing is knowledge. May I give you that book and may your interest in reading continue to grow."

CONTRIBUTE

How can teachers promote "Reading" as a tool for students to empower their knowledge acquisition, mostly in L2 (second language acquisition), so gaining success, better life, and educational outcomes? Provide a sample of activities or suggestions about it to other teachers worldwide.

"Teachers can promote reading by first asking their students what type of reading catches their attention and searching for the right type of book, then assigning reading a page limit and asking students for a summary of what they like most about it. chapter of the book, whether it is a novel, history, literature, or poems. There are motivational books that can also ask students to say a motivational phrase in front of their classmates every day at class time to start the day positively."

Zeboniso Murodova

Tajikistan

TALK ABOUT IT

What can you say about "Reading as a key to success, better life, and educational outcomes?"

"Reading is an important skill that leads to a successful life. As an English teacher, I love reading skills and encourage students and teachers to read books. I always repeat to students and teachers that reading skill is a gateway to knowledge, creativity, and personal growth. When I taught teenagers, I hung on the wall different quotes of great leaders about reading.Such as a reader today and a leader tomorrow. We had a big discussion on quotes. Students shared their insights about quotes. I learned a lot from my students. Reading transformed my life. Teachers must be role models first. And share with our reading habits and our success stories."

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

What has been done in your country about fostering "Reading" to promote student´s success, better life, and educational outcomes at schools?

"The Ministry of Education and Science of Tajikistan has implemented various national reading programs to encourage reading among students of all ages. I am going to share one popular reading competition. It is launched and sponsored by the initiative of the Honorable Leader of our Nation, to motivate teenagers, young adults, and even adults and children all over the country tha they read books with great pleasure. this contest is called "The Dawn of Wisdom is a Book" (Фурӯғи субҳи доноӣ китоб аст). It has 5 or 6 nominations. Everyone can participate including pupils and students of all levels of educational institutions, as well as masters, postgraduates, doctoral students, and citizens of the country. This contest is very popular now in my country.The winners in different nominations are awarded cash. I am very happy to see students from our university are engaged in reading Tajik and world literature books. The competition aims to increase and encourage interest in reading, strengthen cultural memory, pay attention to national and cultural values, strengthen the feeling of creativity and self-knowledge, enrich the vocabulary, and strengthen the spiritual world. "

CONTRIBUTE

How can teachers promote "Reading" as a tool for students to empower their knowledge acquisition, mostly in L2 (second language acquisition), so gaining success, better life, and educational outcomes? Provide a sample of activities or suggestions about it to other teachers worldwide.

"Teachers can empower students to become proficient L2 readers by implementing some activities. First, create a positive reading environment. It would be better to have a mini-library in the classroom. I encouraged even students also create their mini-books and put them in the bookshelf too. I asked students what type of book they would like to have on the shelf. The second is to foster...

Zeboniso Murodova

Tajikistan

CONTRIBUTE

" ...a love to reading. When I was teaching in high school, we had book discussions. Students shared the books they read with each other. They completed the book report and wrote a recommendation to read this or that book. All four skills were engaged. The third incorporated technology. We joined one online project, Folk Tale, around the world. I encouraged students to type in MS Word the Tajik folk tale that they translated from Tajik into English and then submit it to the discussion platform online. It was a fun project Students improved their digital literacy skills. We had 34 translated Taik folk tales thanks to this project, and then I published that into a book and shared them with all schools as additional materials for developing reading skills. Students draw their drawings to each tale. Another strategy is to celebrate reading achievements. Students who read the book and I took their photos, made posters, and hung them on the wall. To recognize and celebrate my students' reading achievements, I printed awards and certificates. Another strategy was to invite my former students from the Access project to read books to my new students to motivate them to read.. Students learn from students better."

Jomar Calixto Catano

Philippines

TALK ABOUT IT

What can you say about "Reading as a key to success, better life, and educational outcomes?"

"Reading is not only a gateway to knowledge but also a key to success, as it enhances critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, and expands vocabulary. It fosters a better life by broadening perspectives and facilitating personal growth. Additionally, it significantly improves educational outcomes by promoting academic achievement and overall cognitive development."

COMPARE AND CONTRAST

What has been done in your country about fostering "Reading" to promote student´s success, better life, and educational outcomes at schools?

"In my country, various initiatives have been implemented to foster reading among students and promote their success, better life, and educational outcomes. These initiatives aim to cultivate a culture of reading both inside and outside of schools. One notable effort is the establishment of school libraries or reading corners in educational institutions. These spaces are equipped with a wide range of books catering to different reading levels and interests. Students are encouraged to explore these libraries, borrow books, and engage in independent reading. Additionally, schools often organize library periods or reading sessions where students can dedicate time to read and discuss books. To further promote reading, reading programs and competitions are organized at both the school and national levels. These initiatives incentivize students to read more and develop a love for books. Book clubs and reading circles are also formed to provide students with a platform to discuss and share their reading experiences. Furthermore, collaborations with local libraries, authors, and publishers play a vital role in fostering reading. Authors are invited to give talks or conduct workshops in schools, promoting their books and encouraging students to immerse themselves in reading. Local libraries also participate by organizing book fairs or mobile library services, allowing students to access a wide range of books. To complement these efforts, schools integrate reading into the curriculum. Reading comprehension exercises and assignments are given to students across different subjects, emphasizing the importance of literacy skills in academic success. Teachers also incorporate reading materials that align with students' interests and cater to diverse learning styles. Overall, these initiatives reflect a collective effort to foster reading in schools, thereby promoting students' success, shaping a better life through knowledge acquisition, and improving their educational outcomes."

CONTRIBUTE

How can teachers promote "Reading" as a tool for students to empower their knowledge acquisition, mostly in L2 (second language acquisition), so gaining success, better life, and educational outcomes? Provide a sample of activities or suggestions about it to other teachers worldwide.

Jomar Calixto Catano

Philippines

CONTRIBUTE

How can teachers promote "Reading" as a tool for students to empower their knowledge acquisition, mostly in L2 (second language acquisition), so gaining success, better life, and educational outcomes? Provide a sample of activities or suggestions about it to other teachers worldwide.

"Teachers can play a crucial role in promoting reading as a tool for knowledge acquisition, especially in second language acquisition (L2). Here are some activities and suggestions for teachers to empower their students through reading:

1. Set reading goals: Encourage students to set personal reading goals, such as finishing a certain number of books or exploring different genres. This helps students take ownership of their reading journey and motivates them to actively seek out new materials.

2. Provide a variety of reading materials: Offer a range of reading materials, including books, magazines, articles, and online resources, to cater to different interests and reading levels. Consider multicultural and diverse texts to engage students from various backgrounds and promote inclusivity.

3. Extensive reading: Implement an extensive reading program where students have dedicated class time for reading. Let them choose books of their interest and provide opportunities for independent reading. Allow students to articulate their opinions and share recommendations with their peers, creating a sense of community around reading.

4. Reading circles/book clubs: Organize reading circles or book clubs within the classroom to foster discussion and promote critical thinking. Students can read the same book or individual texts related to a theme and then engage in group discussions or presentations. This encourages comprehension, collaboration, and language practice.

5. Reading journals/reflective writing: Have students maintain reading journals or blogs where they can write about their reading experiences, summarize the plot, reflect on the author's use of language, or discuss their favorite parts. This helps develop their writing skills and encourages deeper engagement with the texts.

6. Vocabulary-building activities: Connect reading with vocabulary acquisition by using context clues and word lists from the reading materials. Encourage students to keep a vocabulary notebook where they jot down new words, their definitions, and examples of usage from the texts. Regularly review and integrate these new words into classroom activities.

7. Reading comprehension exercises: Develop reading comprehension exercises that focus on various reading skills, such as inferencing, summarizing, and identifying main ideas. Scaffold the activities according to the student’s language proficiency levels, gradually moving toward more complex texts as their skills improve.

8. Use technology: Incorporate technology tools, such as e-books or online platforms, to make reading materials more accessible and interactive. Students can engage in online discussions, take quizzes about the readings, or even collaborate on digital reading projects.

9. Guest speakers/field trips: Invite guest speakers, such as authors or experts in relevant fields, to share their experiences and insights with the students. Arrange field trips to libraries, bookstores, or literary festivals to immerse students in a reading-rich environment.

Jomar Calixto Catano

Philippines

10. Celebrate reading: Organize reading events or celebrations like book fairs, author visits, or storytelling sessions. These events enhance the overall reading experience, foster a love for books, and expose students to different genres and authors. By implementing these activities and suggestions, teachers can leverage reading as a powerful tool for students to enhance their knowledge acquisition, language proficiency, and overall educational outcomes. It allows students to develop critical thinking skills, expands their vocabulary, and cultivates a lifelong love for reading that can benefit them in all aspects of life.

Reading is truly a transformative tool that has the potential to empower individuals and enhance their educational journeys. It not only improves language proficiency but also fosters creativity, empathy, and critical thinking skills. By promoting reading as a key to success, better life, and educational outcomes, we can equip students with the necessary tools to navigate the complexities of the modern world. Moreover, the benefits of reading extend beyond academic achievements, as it enriches personal growth, cultivates a love for lifelong learning, and broadens perspectives. As educators, it is our responsibility to create an environment that promotes reading, celebrates diverse voices, and nurtures a passion for literature. By instilling a love for reading in our students, we are setting them on a path towards success, personal fulfillment, and a brighter future."

International English Language Teachers Association

MISSION STATEMENT

To provide high-quality international standard programs to English language teachers, researchers, and learners around the world to enhance their human, professional, and scientific skills through respectful, collaborative, cooperative, critical, and intercultural interaction.

VISION STATEMENT

To be a reference model of innovative, academic, and organizational quality, which contributes to educational improvement by creating a community of professionals in every country in the world who can build dynamic and supportive learning environments and ultimately a better world.

IELTA has branches in 42 countries and still growing.

Find us at https://www.ieltassociation.org

Facebook page: https://web. facebook.com/ieltassociation

IELTA BOARD

President - Neil Arevalo Alcántara - PERU

Vice President - Ms. Sola Abou Zeid - LEBANON

General Scecretary - Dr. Afsheen Salahuddin- PAKISTAN

Academic Department Director - Dr. Glen P. Cortezano - PHILIPPINES

Administrative Department Director - Dr. Carlo Magno - PERU

International Affairs Director - Ebenezer Osafo Aikins - GHANA

Research Development Coordinator - Yuliana I. Vásquez G. - PANAMA

Teachers´Development Coordinator - Paulina Kazmierczak Majdzinska - POLAND

Learners´Development Coordinator - Nirmaladevi Kandasamy - MALAYSIA

COUNTRIES AMBASSADORS

Nawid Sanjary - AFGANISTAN

Mohandarezki Lahdiri - ALGERIA

Adelino Matías Candumbo - ANGOLA

María Gabriela Portal - ARGENTINA

Gayane Vardanyan - ARMENIA

Siddhartha Shekhar Biswas - BANGLADESH

Eslyn Alcira Escudero Gutierrez - BOLIVIA

Vilma Da Luz Barbosa - BRAZIL

Anestin Chi - CAMEROON

Martha Olivia Ogoño Caraguay - ECUADOR

Huwaida Fahim Alabassi - EGYPT

Getu Teshome Fekata - ETHIOPIA

Celestine Ateh Akechu - GANA

Doreen Dela Agbedoe - GHANA

Georgia Maneta - GREECE

Kalyani Rao B. - INDIA

Fajarudin Akbar - INDONESIA

Akram Shaaban Aboud - IRAQ

Ishangaliyeva Aigul Maksotovna - KAZAHKSTAN

Irene Musau - KENYA

Salma Abou-Azar Nammour - LEBANON

Nirmaladevi Kandasamy - MALAYSIA

Chitan Malle - MALI

Mahalutchmee Runghsawmee - MAURITIUS

Burea Svetlana - MOLDOVA

Sujeet Karki - NEPAL

Darzee Mendieta - NICARAGUA

Hamisu Hamisu Haruna - NIGERIA

Salman Siraj Rajput - PAKISTAN

Kairo Guillén - PANAMA

Gabriela Jakelina Huaroc Carbajal - PERU

Reynald Alfred G. Sy - PHILIPPINES

Paulina Kazmierczak- Majdzinska - POLAND

Anastasia Arkharova - RUSSIA

Jean Bosco Ngizwenayo - RWANDA

Rokhaya Ndoye - SENEGAL

Ming Yao Hsiung - TAIWAN

Ahmed Yakoubi - TUNISIA

Klara Nazmutdinova - UZBEKISTAN

Nguyen Thi Kim Chun - VIETNAM